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IndyCar Modifies Practice Schedule For Indy 500
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IndyCar announced this week an addition to the practice schedule and further definition of the qualification format for next month's 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
The schedule change features an extra day of on-track activity with the addition of a Verizon IndyCar Series practice session on May 19.
In March, IndyCar announced an enhanced qualification format to increase the excitement level and on-track action during qualifications. The weekend will culminate on May 18 with the Fast Nine Shootout, which will determine the coveted Indianapolis 500 pole position and the recipient of the Verizon P1 Award.
The practice session May 19 will be held from 12-5 p.m., and the extra day of on-track action will be open to the public like any other practice day during May.
IndyCar also confirmed an update to the qualification format that allows a competitor that suffers a hardship in qualifying at the conclusion of May 17 an opportunity to make the starting field during May 18 qualifications.
The revision would also permit teams that want to bring new entries forward after qualifying on May 17 an opportunity to compete for a position in the race. In both cases, these teams would be restricted to the last row of the field.
At the conclusion of May 17 qualifications, positions 31-33 will be provisional and those cars, plus any entry not already in the field that has declared its intention to qualify to IndyCar prior to 7 p.m., will participate in a separate qualification session May 18 to determine the 11th row on the grid. May 18 qualifying will include three separate group sessions:
• Group One (10:15-12:15 p.m.) - Determines starting positions 10-30;
• Group Two (12:45-1:30 p.m.) - Determines positions 31-33; and
• The Fast Nine Shootout (2-2:45 p.m.) - Determines the Verizon P1 Award winner and first three rows of the race.
The schedule change features an extra day of on-track activity with the addition of a Verizon IndyCar Series practice session on May 19.
In March, IndyCar announced an enhanced qualification format to increase the excitement level and on-track action during qualifications. The weekend will culminate on May 18 with the Fast Nine Shootout, which will determine the coveted Indianapolis 500 pole position and the recipient of the Verizon P1 Award.
The practice session May 19 will be held from 12-5 p.m., and the extra day of on-track action will be open to the public like any other practice day during May.
IndyCar also confirmed an update to the qualification format that allows a competitor that suffers a hardship in qualifying at the conclusion of May 17 an opportunity to make the starting field during May 18 qualifications.
The revision would also permit teams that want to bring new entries forward after qualifying on May 17 an opportunity to compete for a position in the race. In both cases, these teams would be restricted to the last row of the field.
At the conclusion of May 17 qualifications, positions 31-33 will be provisional and those cars, plus any entry not already in the field that has declared its intention to qualify to IndyCar prior to 7 p.m., will participate in a separate qualification session May 18 to determine the 11th row on the grid. May 18 qualifying will include three separate group sessions:
• Group One (10:15-12:15 p.m.) - Determines starting positions 10-30;
• Group Two (12:45-1:30 p.m.) - Determines positions 31-33; and
• The Fast Nine Shootout (2-2:45 p.m.) - Determines the Verizon P1 Award winner and first three rows of the race.
