How to watch Indy 500: Start time, TV channel, lineup
The worlds biggest race has finally arrived.
After weeks of practice and qualifying sessions, the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 is here.
Thirty-three drivers will compete for the chance to raise the Borg-Warner Trophy, sip a bottle of milk and kiss the bricks at the start-finish line.
Heres all the info for the race:
What is the Indy 500 schedule for this weekend?
The 11th and final practice session for the 2023 Indianapolis 500 is set for Friday at 11 a.m. ET. After that, cars wont return to the track until the race on Sunday.
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is set for Sunday, with the green flag being waved by actor Adam Driver at 12:45 p.m. ET.
How do I watch the Indy 500?
All coverage from Indianapolis this weekend will air on NBC and Peacock. Heres the full TV schedule:
Friday, May 26 (Carb Day)
Carb Day final practice: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, Peacock
Pit Stop Competition: 2:30-4 p.m. ET, Peacock
Sunday, May 28
Pre-race show: 9 a.m. ET, Peacock
Pre-race show: 11 a.m. ET, NBC and Peacock
Indianapolis 500: 12:45 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock
Mike Tirico will be the host for NBCs pre-race telecast alongside racing legends Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick. For the race, Leigh Diffey will be the play-by-play announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. The pit reporters are Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns and Dillon Welch.
What were the qualifying results for the Indy 500?
The starting lineup for the 33-car field was set last weekend. Alex Palou, the 2020 IndyCar champion for Chip Ganassi Racing, won his first career Indy 500 pole award with a four-lap qualifying average of 234.217 mph.
Heres the full starting lineup:
- Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
- Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren
- Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises
- Pato OWard, Arrow McLaren
- Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren
- Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren
- Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Benjamin Pederson, A.J. Foyt Enterprises
- Will Power, Team Penske
- Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing
- Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske
- Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport
- Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
- Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
- Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
- Romain Gosjean, Andretti Autosport
- Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
- Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport
- Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing
- David Malukas, Dale Coyne Racing
- Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta Autosport
- Devlin DeFrancesco, Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
- Agustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing
- Callum Ilott, Juncos Hollinger Racing
- R.C. Enerson, Abel Motorsports
- Katherine Legge, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
- Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
- Sting Ray Robb, Dale Coyne Racing
- Jack Harvey, Rahal Metterman Lanigan Racing
- Graham Rahal, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Will Stefan Wilson race after crashing in practice?
No, Wilson will not compete on Sunday.
Wilson wrecked with Legge in Mondays practice session. He was transported to the hospital, where he stayed overnight and was diagnosed with a fracture of the 12th thoracic vertebrae.
As a result, Wilson will miss the race and be replaced by Rahal in the No. 24. Rahal was the only driver who did not make the race on qualifying speed, but he will now get a chance to compete in his 16th career Indy 500 albeit driving someone elses car. He has a career best finish of third in the race, doing so in 2011 and 2020.
How many people attend the Indy 500?
Last year, 325,000 fans attended the event which marked the races second-best attendance in the last 20 years.
If ticket sale numbers hold true, the track could host over 330,000 fans for the Sunday race this year. The IndyStar reported that estimated figure earlier this month.
What is Carb Day at the Indy 500?
Carb Day is annually held on the Friday before the Indy 500. It is the final practice session prior to the event. Traditionally, Carb Day was when teams would tune their carbuetors similar to how they would on race day. Even though no car has used a carburetor since 1963, the official name of Carburetion Day has stuck.
What is the Indy 500 Carb Day concert for 2023?
After the Carb Day practice session in the middle of the day, there is a Pit Stop Challenge followed by the Carb Day Concert.
Bryan Adams will headline the concert with special guest Soul Asylum to open the show. Concert gates open at 3:30 p.m. ET with the show set to run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Who won the Indy 500 last year?
Marcus Ericsson, a former Formula One driver, won the 2022 Indy 500 for his first career oval track victory.
Including Ericsson, there are nine former Indy 500 champions vying for another win in 2023: Helio Castroneves (2001-02, 2009, 2021), Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), Simon Pagenaud (2019), Will Power (2018), Alexander Rossi (2016), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Tony Kanaan (2013) and Scott Dixon (2008).
Who is favored to win the Indy 500?
Two teams stand out entering the race: Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren. Theyve been the quickest cars all month and thats reflected in the betting odds, where the top seven favorites drive for those two teams.
Here are the full odds to win the 2023 Indy 500, courtesy of our betting partner, PointsBet:
- Alex Palou, +600
- Pato OWard, +700
- Scott Dixon, +800
- Marcus Ericsson, +850
- Takuma Sato, +1000
- Felix Rosenqvist, +1000
- Alexander Rossi, +1200
- Rinus VeeKay, +1200
- Scott McLaughlin, +1200
- Josef Newgarden, +1300
- Santino Ferrucci, +1400
- Will Power, +1600
- Tony Kanaan, +2000
- Colton Herta, +2100
- Kyle Kirkwood, +2500
What is the weather for the Indy 500?
Sunday is setting up to be a beautiful day for racing in Speedway, Ind. NBC Chicago is expecting a high of 79 degrees, with cloudy skies and just a 2% chance of rain. You can see the full forecast here.
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.