Everything to Know About the Indy 500

Q: When is the 110th Indianapolis 500 scheduled?

The 110th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 24.

Q: What is the significance of the Indy 500 in racing history?

The Indy 500 is known as 'The Greatest Spectacle In Racing' and offers drivers a chance for immortality in IndyCar history.

Q: What is the length of the Indianapolis 500 track?

The Indianapolis 500 takes place on a 2.5-mile oval track.

Q: What traditions are associated with winning the Indy 500?

Winners of the Indy 500 celebrate by chugging milk and wearing the famous 'Victory Lane Wreath.'

Everything to Know About the Indy 500

Start your engines!

The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is taking place later this month on Sunday, May 24, as racing fans from around the world congregate in Indianapolis, Ind., to watch "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing" at the sport's most iconic track.

The Indy 500 promises its drivers “immortality” within the halls of IndyCar racing history if they can cross the finish line first. From the raceway’s famed 2.5-mile oval track and its bricklaid finish line, to its winner’s celebratory milk chug while wearing the famed “Victory Lane Wreath,” the Indy 500 is jam-packed with iconic imagery and historical significance within the racing community and the broader sports world.T

The annual IndyCar series race, which has run since 1911, features the sport’s top drivers, from reigning champion Alex Palou to four-time winner Helio Castroneves. (This year, Palou is favored slightly to become just the seventh driver to ever pull off back-to-back victories, according to Fox Sports.)

A different series than Formula 1, which includes manufacturer-controlled teams vying for titles on winding racetracks around the world, IndyCar primarily features private, North American-based racing teams competing primarily on a circular course, such as the legendary track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Akin to NASCAR’s Daytona 500, the Indy 500 is a singular, 200-lap race among a season-long schedule for its drivers —although the May 24 race is indisputably the most prestigious on their calendars each year.

When is the 2026 Indy 500?

Conor Daly races at the Indy 500 open test on April 29, 2026
Credit: Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty

The 110th running of the Indy 500 will take place on Sunday, May 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and will air live on Fox at 12:30 p.m. CT.

Who is performing at the 2026 Indy 500?

Zedd smiles after taking a lap around "The Brickyard" at the 2017 Indy 500
Credit: Joey Foley/WireImage

Besides the highly anticipated, second-annual Wienermobile race, the annual Indy 500 Coors Light Snake Pit concert series is the entertainment highlight of race weekend. The concert will begin in the morning on Sunday, May 24 and take place in the infield near Turn 3 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, leading up to the start of the race.

Headliners for this year’s Snake Pit show include Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer Zedd, as well as Crankdat, Wooli, it’s murph and Wax Motif.

Zedd last performed at the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, the same year he also took a celebratory opening lap around the track alongside racing legend Mario Andretti, who famously won the race in 1969.

Drivers to Watch at the 2026 Indy 500

Helio Castroneves
Credit: Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty

Fans will be watching to see if Palou, 29, can defend his 2025 Indy 500 title, and Castroneves will also be in the spotlight as the Brazilian racing star looks to become the first-ever five-time Indy 500 champion. Castroneves, 50, previously took home the Indy 500 title in 2001, 2002, 2009, and again in 2021, getting to show fans why he’s known as “Spider-Man” when he climbed the protective fence along the track after winning those previous four races.

Castroneves could manage to climb up the leaderboard once more after posting one of the top-two fastest times at an Indy 500 test run late last month, according to the Associated Press.

Josef Newgarden
Credit: Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty

Meanwhile, U.S. IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden is looking to get back in the Indy 500 winner’s circle for the first time since winning back-to-back races at the event in 2023 and 2024. Japanese racer Takuma Sato (2017, 2020) is also trying to add a third Indy 500 victory to his own resume and will be starting the race in Row One.

Veteran driver Katherine Legge will also have her sights set on history, looking to become the first woman to ever win the Indy 500. The e.l.f. Cosmetics-sponsored Legge, 45, is just the ninth woman to ever compete at the Indy 500, though the annual event has allowed drivers of all gender to participate since 1977. No woman has ever won the race, while Legge’s best finish was 22nd place in her 2012 rookie year.

“It honestly feels like Christmas being back at the ‘500,’ “ Legge said in a news release ahead of this year’s running. “Every time I return, I gain a deeper appreciation for what it takes, not just to compete here but to earn the opportunity to be here in the first place. I’m reminded that I’m a small part of this enormously storied event.”