Indy 500 qualifying rescheduled to May 17 noon
- INDYCAR rescheduled Indianapolis 500 qualifying to Sunday, May 17, after rain washed out Saturday’s track activity at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, officials said. - The key number is 33: IndyStar reported 33 entrants for 33 starting spots, meaning no driver will be bumped from the field. - Next up Sunday: split-group practice at 9:30 a.m. ET, then all-car qualifying at noon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Rain forced INDYCAR to move Indianapolis 500 qualifying to Sunday, May 17, with track activity now set to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The series said PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying will start at noon ET after Saturday’s program was washed out. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said tickets and paid parking purchased for Saturday would be honored on Sunday. The change compresses the opening phase of qualifying for the 110th running of the race into one day. ### Why was the schedule changed? Saturday, May 16, was washed out by rain at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, prompting INDYCAR to revise the qualifying timetable. The series said in an update that split-group practice would begin at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, followed by qualifying for all cars at noon. Indianapolis Motor Speedway posted the same revised plan on its event pages and said Saturday tickets and paid parking would be valid Sunday. The speedway also said free entry remained available for military personnel with valid identification. ### What exactly happens on Sunday? Sunday’s revised schedule starts with a one-hour split-group practice session at 9:30 a.m. (indycar.com) ET. INDYCAR Radio’s published broadcast schedule lists all-car qualifying from noon to 3 p.m. ET, Top-12 qualifying from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET and the Firestone Fast 6 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. INDYCAR said earlier this month that the qualifying procedure for the 110th Indianapolis 500 had been expanded. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Under that format, the field first runs to establish the fastest 12 cars, then those 12 return to decide the first four rows, with the final six competing for pole. ### Does anyone risk missing the field this year? The number 33 shapes the answer. (indycar.com) IndyStar reported that 33 cars are entered for 33 starting positions, which means every entrant is assured a place in the May 24 race and there will be no bumping. (indycar.com) That changes the stakes at the back of the field but not at the front. Sunday’s runs still determine the starting order, including the pole position for the Indianapolis 500. ### What is still at stake if the field is full? Pole position remains the main prize on Sunday. Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s event schedule says the day will narrow the field to a Top 12 and then to the Firestone Fast 6, which decides the starting order at the front. (indystar.com) The revised format adds another elimination round before the pole shootout. (indycar.com) INDYCAR said the change creates a separate Top-12 session before the final six cars run for the No. 1 starting spot. ### When is the race itself? The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 24 in Indianapolis. INDYCAR’s event page lists the race as running from May 12 through May 24, with qualifying now underway on May 17 after the weather delay. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Monday, May 18, is set for another practice session from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, according to INDYCAR Radio’s schedule. (indycar.com) Race-day coverage on May 24 is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One, INDYCAR said in its qualifying-format announcement. (indycar.com 1) (indycar.com 2)
