Welcome to 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Positions 13-30 for the May 25 race will be determined today, while the top 12 spots and positions 31-33 will be determined Sunday. One of the 34 entries will fail to make the race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway‘s 2.5-mile oval.
Five-time pole-sitter Scott Dixon had the fastest 4-lap qualifying simulation on Fast Friday at 232.366 mph, followed closely by IndyCar points leader and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Palou (232.307). Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, last year’s pole-sitter, had the best single lap (233.954).
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All drivers are guaranteed one 4-lap qualifying run today, then it gets really interesting.
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Live updates: IndyCar leaderboard
Indy 500 qualifying leaderboard, crashes today, May 17
(with car number, driver name, team, engine, 4-lap mph average)
(15) Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 229.863, 28th fastest; he was below the top 30 after the first round.
(14) Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet, 231.593; improves from 19th to 13th.
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(28) Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, Honda, waves off on Lap 4; he remains 11th.
(17) Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren/Hendrick, Chevrolet, 231.326, improving from 27th to 16th.
(6) Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet, 230.571, slower than his first attempt; he remains 20th.
(12) Will Power, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 232.144; he moves up one place to 10th.
(98) Marco Andretti, Andretti Global, Honda, 229.356, slower than his first run; he remains 28th.
(76) Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger, Chevrolet, 231.221; his car failed inspection after his first attempt. This attempt is 16th fastest.
(20) Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet, 231.349; he’s slightly slower than his initial attempt, which he keeps. He remains in 13th place.
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(06) Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda, 229.634
(2) Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 233.004; the two-time defending race champ is 3rd fastest.
2:05 p.m.: Qualifying resumes; air temperature is 70 degrees with strong wind; track temperature is 108 degrees.
2 p.m.: IndyCar’s hybrid engine, introduced midway through 2024, is in its first Indy 500, and it already has influenced qualifying. Fourteen of the 29 drivers to complete qualifying runs ran faster on Lap 4 than on Lap 3. Many teams have employed stored hybrid power on the final lap.
Pre-hybrid, speeds often dropped on every lap of a qualifying run.
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(18) Rinus Veekay, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda, 229.228; that ends the first round of qualifying. Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, Marcus Armstrong, Colton Herta and Conor Daly have yet to post times.
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Marcus Armstrong, who crashed in morning practice, is cleared to drive. Whether a car will be ready for him today is uncertain.
(90) Callum Ilott, Prema Racing, Chevrolet, 230.704
(30) Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Honda, 230.415
(27) Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, Honda, 230.917
(21) Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet, 231.438
(77) Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger, Chevrolet, 230.335
(3) Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 233.013, .030 mph behind Palou
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Conor Daly’s car fails post-qualifying technical inspection. It had been 11th fastest of 23 qualifiers. He will have to qualify again.
(45) Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Honda, 230.566
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(10) Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 233.043; that’s the best of 22 drivers completing qualifying runs.
(51) Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda, 226.859
(98) Marco Andretti, Andretti Global, Honda, 229.857
(33) Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet, 231.392
(75) Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Honda, 232.169
(17) Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren/Hendrick, Chevrolet, 230.053
(12) Will Power, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 231.880
(14) Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet, 230.837
(4) David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet, 232.194
12:25 p.m.: Qualifying resumes; 13 drivers had posted qualifying runs before Herta’s crash.
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(26), Colton Herta, Andretti Global, Honda, sustains a heavy crash in Turn 1.
(9) Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 232.659
Noon ET weather: 66 degrees, partly cloudy skies, significant west wind, track temperature 100 degrees
(60) Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank, Honda, 232.449
(76) Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger, Chevrolet, 231.596
(6) Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet, 230.571
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The No. 06 of Helio Castroneves and No. 2 of Josef Newgarden fail tech inspection, and they lose their spots in the qualifying line. They will be eligible to qualify after other cars make their first attempts.
(15) Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Honda, 228.686
The No. 66 of Marcus Armstrong has forfeited its guaranteed place in the qualifying order in the wake of Saturday morning’s practice crash.
(7) Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet, 230.304
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(24) Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold/Cusick, Chevrolet, 230.348
(23) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold/Cusick, Chevrolet, 230.236
(20) Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet, 231.510
(83) Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing, Chevrolet, 232.584
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“I’ve driven a Formula 1 car, and it never felt so challenging,” an excited Shwartzman told the Fox broadcast after his run.
(8) Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 231.641
Simpson crashed early in Fast Friday practice and did not run the rest of the session.
(5) Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet, 232.820
(28) Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, Honda, 232.132
11 a.m. weather: 65 degrees under sunny skies with west winds up to 25 mph; track temperature is 93 degrees.
Indy 500 leaderboard, practice crashes today, May 17
10:30 a.m.: Marcus Armstrong has been released from the infield care center, though not cleared to drive. The Meyer Shank Racing team will reconfigure its No. 66 road/street car for qualifying. It’s unclear who would replace Armstrong, if necessary, though the most likely candidate would appear to be Linus Lundqvist.
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9:40 a.m.: Felix Rosenqvist has the best overall lap in practice (234.176 mph), but Alex Palou has the best no-tow lap (233.437). Twenty-eight of the 34 cars log laps. Qualifying is next at 11 a.m. ET.
Here’s a Marcus Armstrong update from IndyCar/IMS medical chief Julia Vaizer.
9:10 a.m.: Felix Rosenqvist — Marcus Armstrong’s Meyer Shank teammate — has 3 great laps, with his best of 234.176 mph (no-tow 233.432), but he gets loose and narrowly misses the wall before lifting off the throttle.
8:40 a.m.: Marcus Armstrong hits the Turn 1 wall hard and is taken to the infield care center on a stretcher. Eight cars had posted hot laps, with David Malukas reaching 232.037. Alexander Rossi has the fastest no-tow lap at 231.974.
Indy 500 qualifying order today, May 17
Indy 500 weather forecast for qualifying
Saturday: Sunny skies and a high around 70 degrees.
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Sunday: Sunny skies and a high in the low 70s.
How Indy 500 qualifying works today, May 17
All drivers are guaranteed one qualifying run on Saturday. After the first round, drivers who want to make additional runs slot into two lanes throughout the afternoon. Going through the priority lane gets a car onto the track sooner, but the previous attempt must be withdrawn. Going through the second lane allows drivers to improve on a previous qualifying time without withdrawing it.
With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60s forecast for Saturday, track conditions may not be as volatile as usual.
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Positions 13-30 for the May 25 race will be established Saturday from 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.
Indy 500 qualifying schedule today, May 17
8 a.m.: Gates open
8:30-9:30 a.m.: Full field practice, divided into two groups for 30 minutes each
11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.: Indy 500 qualifying
TV: 8:30-9:30 a.m., FS2; 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., FS1; 1:30-4 p.m., FS2; 4-6 p.m., Fox
How Indy 500 qualifying works on Sunday, May 18
The fastest 12 drivers from Saturday will go for pole position. The slowest four battle for the three spots on Row 11. One driver will not make the race.
Top-12 qualifying, 4:05 p.m.: The top 12 from Saturday are guaranteed one qualifying attempt, starting with the slowest of that group and finishing with the fastest. The top 6 from this session advance to pole qualifying.
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Last chance qualifying, 5:15 p.m.: The four slowest drivers from Saturday have one hour to make qualifying attempts. The three fastest make up Row 11, and the slowest misses the race.
Fast Six qualifying, 6:25 p.m.: The fastest six drivers from the top-12 session each make one attempt, starting with the slowest (sixth) and ending with the fastest. The fastest in this session wins the pole position.
Indy 500 qualifying schedule on Sunday, May 18
10 a.m.: Gates open
10:45 a.m.: Enlistment ceremony
1-2 p.m.: Top 12 practice
2-3 p.m.: Last Chance practice
4:05-5:05 p.m.: Top 12 qualifying
5:15-6:15 p.m.: Last Chance qualifying for Row 11
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6:25-6:55 p.m.: Fast Six qualifying for pole position
TV: 1-3 p.m., FS2, 4-7 p.m., Fox
Indy 500 qualifying, race tickets
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Carb Day practice tickets for May 23 are $49; practice and concert tickets are $88. Buy tickets here
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2025 Indianapolis 500 general admission tickets for May 25 start at $55, reserved seats at $80. Buy tickets here
Buy Indy 500 tickets on StubHub
What channel is Indy 500 practice, qualifying and the race on?
TV: Coverage will be on Fox, FS1 or FS2, depending on day and time. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell.
How can I stream the Indy 500 practice, qualifying and race?
FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app.
How can I listen to Indy 500 practice, qualifying and the race?
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race)
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 qualifying live updates, results, time trials, starting grid today
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