The Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway carries a weight unlike any other motorsport event. The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 promises a stunning mix of legacy, strategy, and assured drama. Alex Palou is hungry to once again engrave his name in history, while rookies prepare for their first 500. With a new qualifying format and veterans returning to the mix, the stage is set for another spectacular weekend.
Track overview: taming the 2.5-mile oval
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5-mile long rectangular oval track with two 0.6-mile straightaways and four identical turns. Shorter straights called “chutes” connect Turns 1 and 2, and Turns 3 and 4. The circuit is the sports venue with the largest capacity in the world, holding a maximum of 260.000 people.
Drivers reach speeds up to 240 mph (almost 390 km/h) entering the front and back stretches, relying heavily on aerodynamic tows to move up the field. Each of the four turns has a 9°12′ banking, which is not much compared to other speedways. However, cars face them flat out at incredibly high speed, making any slight mistake critical.
The speedway is famously known as The Brickyard, since bricks covered the track before it was paved with asphalt. A 36-inch strip from the original brick surface now serves as the start/finish line, which the winning driver and team traditionally kiss in celebration after the race is over.
Palou dominates an adrenaline-filled qualy day
Qualifying had some unexpected delays because of rain, so the event was held on Sunday for the entire field.
Felix Rosenqvist was the man to beat, blazing through to the Fast Six with an average speed of over 232 mph. Ultimately though, defending Indy 500 winner Alex Palou made his way to the top, grabbing pole position with an incredible four-lap average speed of 232.248 mph. Joining him on the front row are Alexander Rossi and David Malukas, the only Penske driver in the top 10. In a shocking twist of events, no Andretti cars made it to the Fast 12.
However, post-qualifying technical inspections shook up the rear of the grid the day after qualifying. Officials discovered modifications on the #4 of Caio Collet, who qualified in tenth position, and the #24 of Jack Harvey. Both drivers were disqualified and will start from the very back of the grid on race day.
Rule changes for this year’s Indy 500
A significant shift for this 500 lies in the elimination of Bump Day, with a fixed field of 33 cars. Indycar modified the usual qualifying format by focusing on setting the starting order instead of eliminating drivers. Because there is no threat of a driver being bumped from the field, every entry that completes a four-lap run is guaranteed a spot on the grid. This removed the chance of drivers missing the race entirely, focusing the teams’ efforts on track position, in a qualifying day with rapidly changing conditions.
Before the schedule changes, the format would have seen the Saturday session locking in positions 16 through 33. On Sunday, drivers from 10th to 15th position would try to secure three spots in the Top 12, joining the top nine from Saturday. The top six would later move on to the Fast 6 for a shot at pole position.
As mentioned earlier, the Saturday session was canceled, with no Top 15 on Sunday. Instead, the qualifying mimicked that of a traditional race weekend, with a session including all drivers, followed by the Fast 12 and Fast 6.
Legge’s daring attempt at the Double
The Memorial Day weekend historically hosts two of the most important events in American racing: Indycar’s Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600. Less than ten drivers attempted the “Double Duty” of competing in both races on the same day, and this year Katherine Legge will be the first woman to do so.
Driving the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing, Legge is the only woman racing in this year’s Indy 500. On Sunday, May 24th, she will attempt to race 500 miles at Indianapolis, head to Charlotte, and race another 600 miles in the Coca-Cola 600 for Live Fast Motorsports.
She already holds the record as the fastest female qualifier in Indycar, and this could be another important milestone in the history of women in motorsports.
Feature Image credit: Indycar by Joe Skibinski
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