How does the Indy 500 format work in 2025? Explained

The Indy 500 is arguably the greatest open-wheel race, with over a century of history and traditions. The race takes place around a 2.5-mile-long oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with 33 drivers driving a race distance of 500 miles over 200 laps at the circuit.

However, unlike the traditional IndyCar format where the practice, qualifying, and race take place during the same weekend, the Indy 500 is spread over two weekends, i.e., the 3rd and 4th week of May, with the race taking place on Memorial Day.

The 109th running of the Indy 500 will take place on May 25. However, the preparations began on Tuesday, May 13 with the first practice day. Let's have a look at the format for the Indy 500 and see what to expect from the two weeks of superspeedway action.

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2025 Indy 500 format: Practice, Qualifying, and Race

2025 Indy 500 Practice

The Indy 500 practice takes place from Tuesday, May 13, to Friday, May 16. Over the four days of practice, the drivers will make changes to the car and fine-tune the setup to find the right balance for the race trim and the qualifying.

AUTO: MAY 15 INDYCAR 109th Running of The Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Practice May 13 - May 16

The first three days of practice are primarily used to set up the race trim of the cars, with drivers running in the dirty air of other cars to determine the setup and get a feel for what the tire wear is like. The refresher course also takes place within these first three days of practice.

Practice May 17 (Fast Friday)

On the last day of practice, the drivers are allowed to turn up the boost and stimulate the qualifying runs. Drivers usually push the cars to the limits and make the final changes before the qualifying day. The qualifying order (draw) is also decided on the final day of practice.

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2025 Indy 500 Qualifying

The Indy 500 lasts for a couple of days, i.e., Saturday and Sunday of the third week of May.

Qualifying Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 19

On the first day of qualifying, all 34 drivers will go out on a single qualifying run. Unlike the other IndyCar qualifying sessions, where all drivers go out at the same time, or based on group, in the Indy 500 qualifying, each driver gets the track all to himself, and the running order is decided by draw.

On the first day of qualifying, the grid slots from P13-P30 are decided. The final day decides the final three spots, i.e., P31 to P33, in what is known as the last chance qualifiers. Sunday will also decide the Top 12 positions, with two different sessions, which are the Top 12 and the Fast 6.

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2025 Indy 500 Run Up The Main Race

The run up to the Indy 500 includes practice on the day following the qualifying as the grid is set for the race with the 33 entries.

May 23 will mark Carb Day, which is essentially a celebration day where the cars will take to the track to make the final changes, and the evening will be filled with concerts. The name Carb Day came from the 1900s when cars ran Carburettors and it was the final day to adjust the Carburettor settings.

AUTO: MAY 26 INDYCAR Series The 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

May 24 will be the Legend's Day, which will include autograph sessions, a meet and greet with the drivers, and a concert in the evening.

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2025 Indy 500 Race Day

It's the all-important day when one driver will come out on top amongst the 33 who start the race. Race day is filled with pre-race traditions, which take place before the 33 cars take the 3x11 formation. The green flag is dropped after laps behind the pace car.