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The month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is all about speed, nerves and history. This weekend, INDYCAR’s biggest stars will push their cars to the limit in qualifying for the 2026 Indy 500.
Drivers will battle for pole position across two days of qualifying action. With speeds expected to top 230 mph as teams chase a spot in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Indy 500 qualifying, including the TV schedule, streaming information and format.
How to Watch Indy 500 Qualifying
- Dates: Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17
- Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN
- TV channels: FOX, FS1, FS2
- Streaming: FOX One, FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com
Indy 500 Qualifying Schedule
Saturday Qualifying – Day 1
Full-Field Qualifying:
- Practice: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. ET (FS2)
- Qualifying: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET (FS2)
- Qualifying: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
- Qualifying: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET (FOX)
Sunday Qualifying – Day 2
- Practice: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET (FS2)
- Final 15 Qualifying: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Top 12 Qualifying: 5 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Firestone Fast Six: 6:35 p.m. to 6:55 p.m. ET (FOX)
How Does Indy 500 Qualifying Work?
Drivers will get to practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, with drivers getting the extra boost Friday to prepare for qualifying. There will be a draw for qualifying order after practice Friday.
On Saturday, each driver can do the four-lap run in the order from the qualifying draw. A driver does not have to post a time but typically the driver goes out and posts a speed.
Once all the cars have had a chance to qualify, there will be two lines for qualifying:
- A priority line for any drivers who have not qualified or withdrawn their qualifying time.
- A secondary line for any driver who has not withdrawn the qualifying time.
Those in the priority line get to go out before anyone in the secondary line. If a driver who has not withdrawn an earlier time is on a pace slower than that earlier time, INDYCAR can force them to end the run — so that no one can just do a slow run to prevent another driver from getting on track before qualifying ends at 5:50 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The top 15 drivers from Saturday advance to Sunday to determine their order in the lineup. The drivers 16th-33rd will start the Indianapolis 500 in that order. If there were more than 33 cars, the drivers 31st and worse would have to re-qualify Sunday to determine the final three spots.
Who Won the Indy 500 Pole Last Year?
Rookie Robert Shwartzman won the pole for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 232.790 mph.
When is the 2026 Indy 500?
The 2026 Indy 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on FOX and streaming on FOX One.
Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET and the green flag drops at 12:30 p.m. ET.
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