The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. 33 cars. 500 miles. 200 laps at nearly 230 mph. The 110th running of the race that defines American motorsport.
Start here — the basics in under two minutes.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5-mile oval with four banked turns. Cars lap at nearly 230 mph. The front stretch still has a strip of original bricks — and the winner kisses them after the race.
The Indy 500 started in 1911 and has run almost every year since. It's outlasted wars, economic crises, and every other motorsport format. No event better represents American racing heritage.
From multi-time IndyCar champions to Formula 1 veterans chasing a spot in the record books. The Indy 500 field always contains some of the fastest drivers on earth.
The Indianapolis 500 is one of three events in the informal Triple Crown of Motorsport — alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix. Only one driver in history has won all three: Graham Hill, who won Le Mans (1972), Monaco (five times), and the Indy 500 (1966). Winning the Triple Crown is considered the ultimate achievement in motorsport.
Oval racing is different from everything else in motorsport. Here's what you need to know.
The track is a symmetrical 2.5-mile oval — all left turns. Cars run nose-to-tail in tight packs, drafting off each other to reduce air resistance. A driver can gain or lose several positions in a single lap by finding the right line or slipstream.
Cars stop roughly every 40–50 laps for fuel and tires. A well-timed caution (yellow flag) can let a team take a free stop and gain track position without losing time. A poorly timed stop can turn a potential winner into a mid-pack finisher. Strategy matters as much as speed.
When there's an incident, yellow flags freeze the field and no passing is allowed. The cars stack up behind the pace car. When the green flag waves again, all positions are reset — and the sprint for the lead restarts. Late-race yellows can completely reshape the outcome.
The field is always exactly 33 cars — a tradition since 1933. The grid is set by a unique qualifying process spread over two weekends in May. The fastest car earns the coveted pole position. The three slowest qualifiers risk getting "bumped" if a faster car wants their spot — a drama unique to Indianapolis.
Since 1936, the Indy 500 winner is handed a bottle of milk in Victory Lane. The tradition started when Louis Meyer called for buttermilk after his 1936 win. Now every winner chooses their favorite variety — whole, 2%, or skim — before the race.
The start-finish line at IMS still has a yard of original bricks from 1909 embedded in the modern surface. Winners kneel and kiss the bricks as part of the Victory Lane ceremony. The tradition began spontaneously with Dale Jarrett after the 1996 Brickyard 400.
Before the race, a solo performance of "Back Home Again in Indiana" is delivered while colorful balloons are released over the grandstands. It's one of the most emotional pre-race moments in all of sports — fans who have attended dozens of times still get chills.
The winner's trophy is the Borg-Warner, a silver trophy featuring the likeness of every winner since 1936. After each race, a new face is added. The winner also receives a smaller sterling silver baby Borg-Warner replica to keep permanently.
The Indy 500 isn't just one day — it's a month-long festival. Teams arrive at IMS in early May for practice. Qualifying spans two weekends. "Carb Day" (the Friday before the race) is a massive party. Race weekend itself draws over 300,000 people to the Indianapolis area.
The pre-race command "Drivers (and ladies), start your engines" is one of the most iconic phrases in American motorsport. Delivered to 33 cars simultaneously, the moment 33 engines fire is one of the great sounds in sport. The rolling start brings the pack through the straight at controlled speed before the green flag drops.
The Indy 500 unfolds over the entire month — not just race day.
The storylines that will define the 110th Indy 500.
Josef Newgarden won back-to-back Indianapolis 500s in 2023 and 2024, cementing himself as the dominant Indy 500 driver of his era. A third consecutive win would put him in the conversation with the all-time greats of the race. Team Penske remains the team to beat at IMS.
The Indy 500 awards double points — 100 to the winner vs. the usual 50. A driver who is struggling in the championship standings can reset their entire season with one Indy 500 victory. Expect aggressive driving from those chasing the Astor Cup.
The 110th running of the Indy 500 is a milestone edition. Expect the race organizers to lean into the history — special centennial liveries, honorary starters, and tributes to the race's past will be part of the week's ceremonies.
Alex Palou is a multiple IndyCar champion who has yet to convert his brilliance into an Indy 500 win. For drivers of his caliber, Indy remains the one major trophy missing from the cabinet — and Palou's consistency and pace make him a genuine contender every May.
Colton Herta is the most talented American driver in IndyCar — and the son of Bryan Herta, who himself has an Indy 500 win as a team owner (with Dan Wheldon, 2011). Winning the Indy 500 would complete a remarkable family story. Andretti Global provides the equipment to do it.
Every year, "Bump Day" provides one of the most dramatic moments in motorsport. The slowest qualifiers watch with dread as faster cars attempt to claim their grid spots. Veteran drivers and fan favorites have been bumped before — and it never fails to generate headlines.