IndyCar has made a last-minute tweak to the qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500, expanding the number of cars that can fight for pole position from 12 to 15.
The change, announced just days before the event begins, affects the final day’s structure. After Saturday’s nearly seven-hour qualifying session (each driver guaranteed one attempt initially, with the option for multiple runs), the top 15 cars will advance to Sunday.
On Sunday, the drivers ranked 10th through 15th will compete in an additional session to secure one of the 12 spots in the Fast 12. Each of these six drivers will get one single attempt. The three that fail to advance will lock in grid positions 13th, 14th, and 15th.
The rest of Sunday’s program remains unchanged. First, the Fast 12 will narrow the field to the six fastest, who then move to the Fast 6. That final round will determine the pole sitter for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.