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The Indianapolis 500 is “the greatest spectacle in racing” and the 110th race takes place this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
From Friday’s festivities to Sunday’s race, FOX will broadcast all the exciting moments of the event.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 Indy 500. This will be helpful if you’re new to racing or just need a refresher on how it all works.
If you’re looking for more racing details ahead of the Indy 500, we’ve got you covered too.
Indy 500 Basics
The Indy 500 will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Speedway suburb, just outside of Indianapolis. The green flag for 2026 is set for approximately 12:45 pm ET on Sunday, May 24.
One lap around this oval track is 2.5 miles long, meaning the 500-mile race consists of 200 laps. Alex Palou, winner of the 2025 Indy 500, finished the race in two hours and 57 minutes. The average execution time is about three hours.
Who are the Indy 500 announcers? How to watch
You can watch the Indy 500 pre-race and race broadcasts on FOX and stream the broadcasts on FOX One. FOX Sports.com and the FOX Sports app.
Coverage of the Indy 500 begins at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 24 on FOX with the pre-race show. Veteran broadcaster Chris Myers will lead the pre-race coverage, with former INDYCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick joining him.
Danica Patrick and Townsend Bell at the 2025 Indy 500. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Will Buxton, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe will be on the call for the live broadcast of the race, while Jamie Little, Kevin Lee and Georgia Henneberry will report from the pits. Tom Rinaldi of FOX Sports will be present with articles and interviews.
FOX Sports’ “First Things First” will make an appearance. Rob Gronkowski will be part of the all-day party at the Snake Pit (more on that later) on Sunday.
Who are the main betting favorites to win the Indy 500?
- Alex Palou: 5/2 (bet $10 to win $35 total)
- Duck O’Ward: 13/2 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
- David Malukas: 8/1 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Who won the Indy 500 pole?
Alex Palou, the reigning Indy 500 champion, earned the pole position for this year’s Indy 500 during qualifying at IMS on Sunday, May 17. Alexander Rossi will join Palou on the front row and David Malukas will start behind Palou in third. Palou also took pole position at the 2023 Indy 500, but finished the race in fourth place.
[Read More: 4 Takeways From Alex Palou Snagging Indy 500 Pole]
This time, however, Palou became the first defending Indy 500 champion to win the pole the following year since Hélio Castroneves did so in 2010.
What is the Indy 500 trophy?
The Indy 500 trophy is known as the Borg-Warner Trophy, named after its creator and sponsor, automotive supply company BorgWarner. He is 5-foot-4, weighs 110 pounds and is valued at around $3.5 million. The trophy is fitted with a sculpted face and the engraved name of each winner, dating back to Ray Harroun in 1911.
Past Indy 500 winning drivers in the 2026 Indy 500 field (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What do the flags at the Indy 500 mean?
The flags in the Indy 500, and in motorsports in general, are similar to traffic lights.
Green: Go
Yellow: Caution, when all drivers must reduce speed
Red: All drivers must stop.
Black: A driver must stop and go to the pits.
Black and white plaid: End of the race
Previous Indy 500 winners in the field 2026
The Indy 500 field is always packed and this year is no exception. There are nine previous Indy 500 winners in the field, including three multiple winners, and five previous INDYCAR champions.
Here are the previous Indy 500 champions and the years they won, vying for the 2026 crown:
Alex Palou (2025), Josef Newgarden (2023, 2024), Marcus Ericsson (2022), Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021), Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), Will Power (2018), Alexander Rossi (2016), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014) and Scott Dixon (2008).
Helio Castroneves is trying to become the first driver with five victories in the Indianapolis 500. He is one of four drivers to have won the race four times. (Photo by Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images)
Who are the 2026 Indy 500 rookies?
There are four rookie drivers in the Indy 500, including Jacob Abel, Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher. Collet initially did his best in qualifying in tenth place, but was relegated to the back of the field after a technical violation on his car. Schumacher (27th), Hauger (29th) and Abel (30th) will start towards the back of the pack.
What is carb day?
Carb Day is the last day of advertising before the weekend. On Friday, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host a series of festivities. The day begins at 11 a.m. ET with final practice for the Indy 500.
At 2 pm ET, there is the famous Oscar Mayer Wienie 500.
And after the Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge, there will be performances by Switchfoot and Counting Crows.
Why is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway nicknamed the Brickyard?
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is nicknamed the Brickyard because, in 1909, it was completely repaved with bricks.
It was originally an asphalt racing track, but this led to dangerous and fatal accidents. After more than 25 years of racing on bricks, the IMS returned to the asphalt track. The track is still mostly asphalt, except for a middle portion of the race’s start and finish stretch: a line of bricks that the winner and team kiss to honor tradition after finishing the Indy 500.
What are some of the Indy 500 traditions?
Josef Newgarden celebrates after winning the 2024 Indy 500. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“Back Home Again in Indiana” is not the official state anthem, but considering the popularity of the song, some might argue that it could be. It’s a 75-year-old Indy 500 tradition that James Melton first ran in 1946 to celebrate soldiers returning home after World War II.
Indy 500 winners bathe with a bottle of milk. That tradition began in 1936, when winner Louis Meyer received a bottle of buttermilk after the race. A dairy industry executive pushed to make this an annual custom, but it was not sustained until the Indy 500 returned from its World War II hiatus in 1946. Now, each year, two Indiana dairy farmers are present in the Winner’s Circle. One delivers the frozen milk to the winning driver, while the other delivers bottles of milk to the crew chief and owner of the winning team. Before the race, each runner presents their preference for the type of milk, choosing between whole, 2 percent and skimmed.
[INDY 500: 7 Things To Know About The Indy 500 Milk Tradition]
Similar to drowning in milk, as mentioned above, winners kiss bricks. After a race, the winning drivers and their teams kneel at the start and finish line to kiss the exposed strip of the track’s original 100-year-old, 3-foot-wide brick pavement. This tradition debuted 30 years ago, in 1996, when crew chief Todd Parrott and driver Dale Jarrett kissed the bricks after winning the race. Ricky Rudd did the same in 1997 and thus the tradition continued.
Who will perform at the Indy 500?
The Indy 500 isn’t just a race, it’s a community experience filled with festivities and musical performances. As for performers, Grammy winner Jordin Sparks will sing the national anthem before Sunday’s race. Then there’s Jim Cornelison, who will sing “Back Home Again in Indiana.”
In addition to Friday night concerts with Switchfoot and Counting Crows, there will be performances on Sunday at the Snake Pit with the famous DJ Zedd.
What is the snake pit?
The Snake Pit is an all-day concert held on Sunday in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Grammy-winning DJ Zedd headlines the bill. Crankdat, Wooli, it’s murph and Wax Motif will also perform at the race day concert during the 110th Indy 500.
Who are the dignitaries of the Indy 500?
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti will drive the pace car, which is the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X. Actor Brendan Fraser will start the race, waving the green flag as the honorary starter. WNBA and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was named grand marshal.
