Indy 500 runs Carb Day final practice as teams finalize setups

Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened Miller Lite Carb Day on Friday with the final practice session before the 110th Indianapolis 500, giving teams their last track time before Sunday’s race. The Speedway schedule listed Indianapolis 500 practice from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern, with the Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 at 2 p.m., the Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Carb Day concert later in the afternoon. INDYCAR’s event page also listed Friday as the last practice window before pre-race coverage and the race on May 24. Friday’s session is the final chance for teams to run in race trim at Indianapolis before the field returns for the start of the 500. INDYCAR’s radio schedule listed Carb Day final practice from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, while FOX Sports’ programming schedule listed final practice coverage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on FS1, reflecting the broader broadcast window around the on-track session. ### Why does Carb Day still matter after qualifying is already set? (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Friday’s practice matters because qualifying is over and teams are no longer chasing outright speed for the grid. The INDYCAR event schedule shows the starting lineup was set before Carb Day, leaving this session as the last opportunity to test full-fuel balance, traffic behavior and pit-lane routines before 200 laps on Sunday. (indycar.com) The Speedway itself framed Carb Day as the bridge into race weekend. Its event page called Miller Lite Carb Day “the ultimate turbo boost” into the Indianapolis 500 weekend and paired the practice session with the day’s other track and entertainment events. ### What else was on the Carb Day schedule besides the cars? (indycar.com) Indianapolis Motor Speedway paired Friday’s practice with a full day of public events. The Speedway ticket page said Carb Day includes final practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500, the second annual Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 and the annual Pit Stop Competition. At 4 p.m., the Carb Day concert was scheduled to begin in Turn 3. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) INDYCAR said in March that Counting Crows would headline the 2026 Carb Day concert and that Switchfoot would open. “Miller Lite Carb Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in that announcement. FOX Sports also built Friday’s novelty events into its live coverage plan. Its May 6 release listed the Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ET and the Pit Stop Contest from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, both on FOX. ### What was the weather outlook around the Speedway? WTHR said Thursday that “on-and-off rain chances are likely” for Carb Day, Parade Day and Indy 500 Race Day, while adding that “there will be lots of dry time, too.” In an updated Friday forecast, the station said Carb Day would be “cloudy and cool,” with isolated showers around noon and more scattered to widespread rain later in the afternoon and evening. (indycar.com) (foxsports.com) The timing mattered for the day’s schedule because the final practice was set for late morning and early afternoon, before the concert window later in the day. The Speedway schedule marked all Friday event times as subject to change. ### When is the next on-track milestone? Sunday, May 24, is the next competitive step for the field. (wthr.com) FOX Sports said the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will air at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One, with pre-race coverage beginning at 10 a.m. ET, while INDYCAR’s event page lists the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after Friday’s final practice and Saturday’s Legends Day. (foxsports.com) (indianapolismotorspeedway.com)