Trying to dry Gasoline Alley – PPG Armed Forces Qualifying – Indianapolis 500 – Photo by Joe Skibinski

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

A persistent Midwest rain forced postponement of Day 1 of qualifications for the 110^th Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, prompting INDYCAR to update its schedule for PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Rain delay – PPG Armed Forces Qualifying – Indianapolis 500 – By: Josh Hernandez

Beginning at noon (EDT) today, all 33 qualifiers will line up based upon Friday’s qualifying draw and have one attempt to post a traditional four-lap/10-mile qualifying speed and the opportunity to advance to subsequent qualifying rounds.

SEE: Qualification Order

Due to the time parameters required Sunday for “knockout rounds,” initial qualifying runs will determine positions 13-33, with the fastest 12 qualifiers continuing directly to a Top 12 round at approximately 4:30 p.m. Under this abbreviated format _ like in previous years _ the order of Sunday’s Top 12 begins in reverse of qualifying speeds from the cars’ initial qualifying attempts (12, 11, 10, 9, etc). Each car will have one attempt. Those finishing seventh through 12th will fill out starting positions seven through 12 according to their time and speed.

The fastest six will advance to the next round of Indy 500 qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six to determine positions one through six.

Gasoline Alley – PPG Armed Forces Qualifying – Indianapolis 500 – By: Paul Hurley

Fans will be able to salute advancing teams ahead of the Top 12 and Firestone Fast Six rounds during a mandatory cool-down period, which will include laps behind the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Pace Car. Traveling at 100 mph, the laps will allow air to flow through the air ducts to help cool the engines before the dramatic next round.

The fastest in the Firestone Fast Six will claim the NTT P1 Award and pole position for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24, and the accompanying $100,000 prize.

NTT IndyCar Series championship points also will be awarded for those who advance to the Top 12 qualifying session. The Indy 500 pole-winner will receive 12 points, the second-fastest will receive 11, and points awarded will decrease by one-point increments down to the 12th fastest (one point).

All tickets and paid parking from Saturday will be honored Sunday. Suite and hospitality tickets from Saturday will grant general admission access, not access to their suite or hospitality space. Suite and hospitality parking from Saturday is not valid Sunday.

Helio Castroneves – Indianapolis 500 Practice – Photo by Josh Hernandez

Live coverage of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge began with split-group practice at 9:30 a.m. (EDT, FS2 and FOX One), with qualifying scheduled to begin at noon also on FS2 and FOX One. The final two rounds of qualifying _ Top 12 and Firestone Fast Six _ will be available beginning at 4 p.m. on FOX and FOX One. All sessions also are available via INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls on SiriusXM Channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

Four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves of Brazil is among nine past race-winners and five NTT IndyCar Series champions prepping to chase victory on Memorial Day Weekend.

Alex Palou – Indianapolis 500 Practice – Photo by Walt Kuhn

Alex Palou of Spain earned the first oval race victory of his career in the 2025 Indianapolis 500, completing a sweep of the Month of May after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile/14-turn IMS Road-Course.

Palou, of Chip Ganassi Racing, went on to win his fourth NTT IndyCar Series championship and third in a row in 2025, becoming the first driver since Dario Franchitti of Scotland and CGR in 2010 to win the 500 and the series title in the same season.

Castroneves _ the Indy 500 champ in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021 _ leads the impressive list of past winners including two-time champions Takuma Sato of Japan (2017, 2020) and Josef Newgarden (2023, 2024). The list single winners features Scott Dixon of New Zealand (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power of Australia (2018) and Marcus Ericsson of Sweden (2022). The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992.

Castroneves earned a spot alongside A.J. Foyt Jr., Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports _ four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 _ with his emotional victory in 2021 for Meyer Shank Racing. A record-breaking fifth would place Castroneves alone on the famed Borg Warner Trophy. Castroneves turned 51 on Tuesday, and a victory also would make him the oldest winner in 500 history, a record held by “Big Al” Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days shy of his 48th birthday.

The field includes five past INDYCAR champions _ Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, Palou and Power.

Katherine Legge – Indianapolis 500 Practice – Photo by Matt Fraver

Katherine Legge of Great Britain is the only woman entrant this year, competing for the first time since 2024.

Four drivers are vying for Rookie of the Year honors in 2026: Jacob Abel (who was bumped from the field last year), Caio Collet of Brazil, Dennis Hauger of Norway and Mick Schumacher of Switzerland.

Live Race Day coverage is scheduled to begin on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls at 10 a.m. (EDT), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.

2026 INDY 500 ENTRY BREAKDOWN

Winners (9) _ Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato.

Rookies (4) _ Jacob Abel, Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger, Mick Schumacher.

U.S. drivers (12) _ Jacob Abel, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi and Nolan Siegel.

International drivers (21 from 14 countries) _ Marcus Armstrong, Helio Castroneves, Caio Collet, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Louis Foster, Romain Grosjean, Jack Harvey, Dennis Hauger, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Mick Schumacher, Kyffin Simpson and Rinus VeeKay.

Engines (33) _ Chevrolet 18, Honda 15 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone Firehawk tires).

Official NTT IndyCar Series entry list for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24, with car number in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car name with engine supplier and team entrant:

1. (2) Josef Newgarden-(W), Nashville, Tenn., Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet/Team Penske
2. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Christchurch, New Zealand, Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet/Team Penske
3. (4) Caio Collet-(R), Sao Paulo, Brazil, Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet/A.J. Foyt Enterprises
4. (5) Pato O’Ward, Monterrey, Mexico, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
5. (06) Helio Castroneves-(W), Sao Paulo, Brazil, Cleveland-Cliffs Honda/Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian
6. (6) Nolan Siegel, Palo Alto, Calif., NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
7. (7) Christian Lundgaard, Hedensted, Denmark, VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
8. (8) Kyffin Simpson, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Sunoco Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Chip Ganassi Racing
9. (9) Scott Dixon-(W), Auckland, New Zealand, PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Chip Ganassi Racing
10. (10) Alex Palou-(W), Barcelona, Spain, DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Chip Ganassi Racing
11. (11) Katherine Legge, Guildford, England, e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet, HMD Motorsports/with A.J. Foyt Enterprises
12. (12) David Malukas, Chicago, Ill., Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet/Team Penske
13. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Woodbury, Conn., Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet/A.J. Foyt Enterprises
14. (15) Graham Rahal, New Albany, Ohio, United Rentals Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
15. (18) Romain Grosjean, Geneva, Switzerland, Bmax.IO Honda/Dale Coyne Racing
16. (19) Dennis Hauger-(R), Aurskog, Norway, Only Bulls Honda/Dale Coyne Racing
17. (20) Alexander Rossi-(W), Nevada City, Calif., Java House Chevrolet/Ed Carpenter Racing
18. (21) Christian Rasmussen, Copenhagen, Denmark, Splenda Chevrolet/Ed Carpenter Racing
19. (23) Conor Daly, Noblesville, Ind., DRR Kingspan Chevrolet/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
20. (24) Jack Harvey, Bassingham, England, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Invest Chevrolet/DRR
21. (26) Will Power-(W), Toowoomba, Australia, TWG AI Honda/Andretti Global
22. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Jupiter, Fla., Sam’s Club Honda/Andretti Global
23. (28) Marcus Ericsson-(W), Kumla, Sweden, Phoenix Investors Honda/Andretti Global
24. (31) Ryan Hunter-Reay-(W), Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Prize Picks Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
25. (33) Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind., SlimFast Special Chevrolet/Ed Carpenter Racing
26. (45) Louis Foster, Odiham, England, Droplight Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
27. (47) Mick Schumacher-(R), Gland, Switzerland, ENVE Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
28. (51) Jacob Abel-(R), Louisville, Ken., Texas Roadhouse Chevrolet/Abel Motorsports
29. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Varnamo, Sweden, SiriusXM Honda/Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian
30. (66) Marcus Armstrong, Christchurch, New Zealand, Acura Honda/Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian
31. (75) Takuma Sato-(W), Tokyo, Japan, AMADA Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
32. (76) Rinus VeeKay, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, WedBush/JHR/DRR Chevrolet/Juncos Hollinger Racing
33. (77) Sting Ray Robb, Payette, Idaho, Juncos Hollinger/Goodheart Chevrolet/Juncos Hollinger Racing

Note _ All cars use the fourth generation NTT IndyCar Series chassis (Dallara IR-12) with universal IR-18 aerodynamic bodywork, Chevrolet or Honda twin-turbocharged V-6 engines and Firestone Firehawk tires.

(W) _Denotes Indianapolis 500 winner

(R) _ Denotes Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year candidate