Indy 500 Qualifying Format Changes for 110th Running with Top Nine Advancing on Day One

Practice sessions for the Indianapolis 500 started this week, with qualifying scheduled for this weekend.

Teams will set the field for the 110th running of the race using a modified format compared to past years. Each car completes a four-lap run, with positions determined by average speed over those laps. After the initial run, teams can join a queue for additional attempts before time expires or opt to discard their prior time and skip the line.

Heading into May, entries numbered 33, filling the grid but eliminating the drama of bump day when more than 33 cars vie for spots. New tweaks will create tension on Sunday's second qualifying day despite no bumping.

The 12 fastest drivers typically run on Sunday for a chance at the Firestone Fast Six and pole position. This year, the top nine from Saturday lock into the Top 12. Cars finishing 10th through 15th on day one get another run for the remaining three spots. Qualifying proceeds as usual after the Top 12 session.

Day one qualifying begins Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m. ET on FS2, shifting to FS1 and then Fox during the day.