Practice for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday, and with it, a tidal wave of announcements regarding the 35 racing drivers that will attempt to claim one of the 33 spots available for the iconic race. Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered every step of the way.
The Drive has been present at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since preparations for last weekend’s IndyCar Grand Prix commenced, and we will be on site until the checkered flag drops and the winner’s milk is spilled on the evening of May 27. Unlike most racing series’ Grand Prix weekends, the Indy 500 doesn’t follow the traditional Friday practice, Saturday qualifying, and Sunday race format. No, that would simply bring the fun to a halt quite prematurely.
The four-day-long practice session that began on Tuesday concludes on “Fast Friday,” when veteran and rookie drivers have their last chance to tweak their driving style as well as their machines ahead of qualifying, which IndyCar refers to as “Qualifications Day 1 and Day 2.” Once the field for the Indy 500 is set, all 33 drivers have the chance to get behind the wheel of their machinery two more times, once on the Monday after qualifying during “Practice 8,” and one last time on “Carb Day,” which stands for “Carburation Day.”
If you’re familiar with Indy 500 folklore, you’ll know that Carb Day also stands for “party like a maniac day,” as the popular Friday tradition invites young and old folks alike to get wild on a hot summer day. Oh, and if attendees manage to put down their beer cans long enough to see what’s in front of them, they’ll realize that there’s also a pretty cool IndyCar pit-stop challenge going on.
The moment everyone’s been waiting for commences on Sunday, May 27, when the Speedway’s gates open to hundreds of thousands of fans who swarm the track in the wee hours of the morning. Once the green flag drops, it’s only a matter of time until there’s a new face added to the famous Borg-Warner trophy. Lastly, we’ll be back on the yard of bricks on Monday morning to watch the new champion put on three-dozen hats for the official post-race winner’s photo session.
Because not all the action takes place at the Speedway, we’ve sourced a ride worthy of the excitement and glamour of the month of May to transport us from point A to point B, oftentimes taking a detour to point Z: A 2018 Honda Civic Type R. After all, Honda power has propelled four of the last six Indy 500 winners.
See the detailed event schedule.