Pole position for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 will be determined on Sunday, May 19. The best qualifier will lead the peloton at the start of the race on May 26. Rows 1-4 and 11 will be determined today. Lines 5 to 10 are defined.
Team Penske drivers – Will Power, Scott McLaughlin and defending winner Josef Newgarden – had the best qualifying runs on Saturday. Kyle Larson, who is trying to complete the Indy 500-NASCAR Cup double, also has a chance for the pole position.
Alex Palou’s 4-lap average pole position of 234.217 mph as of 2023 is the pole position in Speedway history. Arie Luyendyk set the qualifying record of 236.986 in 1996, but qualifying rules at the time required him to start further back.
Please follow Nathan Brown all season long for IndyCar news and analysis. We will have all the qualifications here.
Day 1 recap: Team Penske, Kyle Larson leads Indy 500 qualifying, will aim for pole position
What is a plenum?Inside the issue that hampered Chevrolet drivers on the first day of Indy 500 qualifying
5:50 p.m.: Scott McLaughlin and Team Penske dominate Indy 500 qualifying
Scott McLaughlin achieves fastest pole position in race history at 234.220 mph as Team Penske sweeps the front row for the first time since 1988.
Will Power and Josef Newgarden will join McLaughlin in the front row next Sunday.
The second row includes Alexander Rossi, NASCAR star Kyle Larson and Santino Ferrucci.
Penske drivers Rick Mears, Al Unser and Danny Sullivan swept the front row for Penske in 1988, and Mears won.
This is Penske’s 19th pole position here, and first since Simon Pagenaud in 2019. Pagenaud is the last pole sitter to also win the race.
INDY 500 RANGE:A complete guide to the 33-car starting field
5:20 p.m.: Indy 500 Fast 6 qualifying
With car number, driver, engine, team, average speed over 4 laps in mph
(3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, Penske, 234.220
(12) Will Power, Chevrolet, Penske, 233.917
(2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, Penske, 233.808
(7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 233.090 (“I’m bored, but I’m motivated,” he says of Team Penske)
(17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 232.846; he thanks his team and heads to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, for Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race.
(14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, Foyt, 232,692
Track conditions: 90 degrees, sunny; track temperature 126.7
4:05 p.m.: Last chance qualifying for the Indy 500
Nolan Siegel, after being released from Inland Medical Center: “I’m going home because I did everything I could. … It drove me into the wall.”
Line 11 Qualifications: Katherine Legge, Marcus Ericsson, Graham Rahal.
With car number, driver, engine, team, average speed over 4 laps in mph; drivers can make multiple attempts
Nolan Siegel crashes between turns 1 and 2 on the 2nd lap of his last qualifying attempt and will miss the Indy 500. He exits the car under his own power. Along pit road, Graham Rahal, who qualified 33rd, sympathized with Siegel. Rahal failed to qualify in 2023, but entered the field after a post-qualifying crash involving Stefan Wilson.
(28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, Andretti, 230.027; bump Nolan Siegel
(15) Graham Rahal, Honda, RLL, 229,974; Marcus Ericsson is currently off the field.
(51) Katherine Legge, Honda, Coyne, 230.092 (she shakes during warm-up lap and almost loses control on lap 4; post-race comment: “Terrifying”, adding that she is a big bad race car driver who also wants to cry.)
(28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, Andretti, 220.702 (last lap is 195.411; he decelerates before turn 1 on lap 4, believing his race is over and loses momentum); race officials ban the race.
(18) Nolan Siegel, Honda, Coyne, 229,566
Track conditions: 88 degrees, partly cloudy; track temperatures 124
3:05 p.m.: Fast 12 Indy 500 qualifying
With car number, driver, engine, team, average speed over 4 laps in mph; *-upgrades to Fast 6
Fast 6: Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, as well as Alexander Rossi, Kyle Larson and Santino Ferrucci. They are all Chevrolets.
Row 3: Rinus VeeKay, Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist; Row 4: Takuma Sato, Kyle Kirkwood, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
(12) Will Power, Chevrolet, Penske, 233,483*
(3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, Penske, 233,492*
(2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, Penske, 233,286*
(7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 233.071*
(27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, Andretti, 230.993 (“I know we have a good race car and a good starting position.”)
(17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 232.788* (“Happy with how the day is going.” He plans to compete in the NASCAR Cup All-Star race in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, more late Sunday, but first he will be in fast 6.)
(60) Félix Rosenqvist, Honda, Meyer Shank, 232.305
(14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, Foyt, 232,723*
(75) Takuma Sato, Honda, RLL, 232.171
(5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 232.584 (established “the happiest balance in qualifying.”)
(21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, Carpenter, 232.610 (“It feels like a bonus round,” following Saturday’s early fall and recovery to reach the top 12.)
(23) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, D&R-Cusick, 230.567 (Comment after execution: “That was pretty terrible.”)
Track conditions: 87 degrees, partly cloudy; track temperature 124.5
1:45 p.m.: Last row qualifying practice
Qualifying simulations: Katherine Legge (231.011); Marcus Ericsson (230.532); Graham Rahal (229.073); Nolan Siegel (228.955).
1:00 p.m.: Indy 500 Top 12 practice is complete
Here are the best qualifying simulations over 4 laps, in average mph
- (3) Joseph Newgarden, 233.707
- (60) Felix Rosenqvist, 232 848
- (3) Scott McLaughlin, 232,655
- (5) Pato O’Ward, 232 637
- (7) Alexandre Rossi, 232,495
- (27) Kyle Kirkwood, 232.335
- (17) Kyle Larson, 232,091
- (12) Will, 231,688
- (75) Takuma Sato, 228,852
- (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay, 225.365
Kyle Larson acknowledges that the constant adjustments in pursuit of qualifying speed are frustrating, given that the qualifying process in NASCAR is much simpler.
12:30 p.m.: Josef Newgarden achieves the best qualifying practice route
Qualifying simulations: Josef Newgarden (233.707) and Felix Rosenqvist (232.848) dominated O’Ward’s previous run.
NASCAR star Kyle Larson started a qualifying simulation, but fell back after a brief slide.
12:15 p.m.: Indy 500 Top 12 practice
Qualifying simulations: Pato O’Ward (232,637); Alexandre Rossi (232,495); Kyle Kirkwood (232.335); Will (231,688)
Track conditions: 84 degrees, sunny; runway temperature 114.4
Quick 12 qualifiers for the Indianapolis 500
With car number, driver, engine, team and average speed over 4 laps; all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires (W race winner; R race rookie)
A qualifying round will narrow this group down to the Fast Six, and a second round will determine the top six starters.
- (12) Will Power (W), Chevrolet, Penske, 233.758 mph
- (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, Penske, 233.332
- (2) Josef Newgarden (F), Chevrolet, Penske, 233.293
- (7) Alexander Rossi (F), Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 233.069
- (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, Andretti Global, 232,764
- (17) Kyle Larson (right), Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren 232.563
- (60) Félix Rosenqvist, Honda, Meyer Shank, 232,547
- (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, AJ Foyt, 232,496
- (75) Takuma Sato (F), Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 232 473
- (6) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 232,434
- (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter, 232,419
- (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay (F), Chevrolet, Dreyer and Reinbold-Cusick, 232.385
Last chance qualifying for the 2024 Indy 500
Three of these drivers will appear in row 11 and one will not participate in the race.
“It’s going to be high pressure”:Ericsson, Rahal and Coyne battle for final spots at Indy 500
(28) Marcus Ericsson (F), Honda, Andretti Global, 230.603
(51) Katherine Legge, Honda, Dale Coyne, 230.830
(15) Graham Rahal, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 230.685
(18) Nolan Siegel (right), Honda, Dale Coyne, 228.276
2024 Indy 500, row 5
13. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, Andretti Global, 232,316
14. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 232.306
15. (6) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 232.230
2024 Indy 500, row 6
16. (11) Marcus Armstrong (right), Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 232.183
17. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter Racing, 232.017
18. (4) Kyffin Simpson (right), Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 231.948
2024 Indy 500, row 7
19. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, Andretti Global, 231 890
20. (06) Helio Castroneves (F), Honda, Meyer Shank, 231.871
21. (9) Scott Dixon (F), Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 231.851
Indy 500 row 8 2024
22. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 231,847
23. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, AJ Foyt Racing, 231.826
24. (33) Christian Rasmussen (right), Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter Racing, 231.851
2024 Indy 500, row 9
25. (66) Tom Blomqvist (right), Honda, Meyer Shank, 231.578
26. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 231.514
27. (8) Linus Lundqvist (right), Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 231.506
2024 Indy 500, row 10
28. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 231 465
29. (24) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, Dreyer and Reinbold-Cusick, 231.243
30. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 231 100
Indy 500 qualifying schedule, procedure
Hear the action on IndyCar Radio or SiriusXM Channel 218
Sunday May 19
(Practices will be done on Peacock)
Noon-1 p.m.: Top 12 workouts
1 p.m.-2 p.m.: Last Chance Qualifying Practice
(Qualifying on NBC)
3:05 p.m.-4:05 p.m.: The 12 fastest cars on Saturday will each benefit from an attempt to achieve additional time. The slowest of these 12 starts, then the 11th, etc. Positions 7-12 in these sessions establish their starting positions for the race. The six fastest will have an extra chance to take pole position.
4:15-5:15 p.m.: The last chance qualifications will determine the 11th row (positions 31-33). Each of the four slowest qualifiers on Saturday will be guaranteed at least one four-lap race. Anyone can make multiple attempts as needed before the timer expires. The slowest car in this session is not part of the Indy 500.
5:25 p.m.-5:55 p.m.: The Fast Six determines the first two lines. Each car has a four-lap attempt, starting with the 6th fastest in the 3:05 p.m. session, then the 5th, etc. The fastest in this session starts the race from pole position, and the others occupy rows 1 and 2 depending on their attempts during this session.