Indy 500 qualifying 2024: What day is pole position determined?
Indianapolis 500 qualifying is scheduled for May 18-19, 2024, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A complete attempt is four laps on the 2.5-mile IMS oval.
Alex Palou won the pole position in 2023 with a 234.217 mph average for 10 miles. Simon Pagenaud is the last pole winner to also win the race, in 2019. The pole winner has won the race 21 times.
Arie Luyendyk holds the qualifying record at 236.986 mph established in 1996, but because his attempt came on the second of four days of qualifying, rules at the time dictated he start 20th.
The qualifying order for the first round of attempts is drawn after practice on Friday, May 17.
Indy 500 2024 qualifying procedure, schedule
Saturday, May 18
All times ET
8:30-9:30 a.m.: Practice with cars divided into two groups, each getting 30 minutes
11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.: Qualifying (all day on Peacock)
Every car gets at least one attempt according to the qualifying draw. After that, cars that 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 Going through the priority lane gets a car onto the track sooner, but the previous attempt must be withdrawn.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.
After this session, race positions 13-30 are set. The top 12 compete for the pole on Sunday, while the four slowest will compete for three spots in Row 11.
Sunday, May 19
(Practices will be on Peacock)
Noon-1 p.m.: Top 12 practice
1-2 p.m.: Last chance qualifiers practice
(Qualifying on NBC)
3:05-4:05 p.m.: The fastest 12 cars from Saturday will get one attempt each to post an additional time. The slowest of those 12 goes first, then the 11th, etc. Positions 7-12 during this sessions establish their starting positions for the race. The six fastest will have one more chance to earn the pole position.
4:15-5:15 p.m.: Last chance qualifying will determine the 11th row (positions 31-33). Each of the four slowest qualifiers from Saturday will be guaranteed at least one four-lap run. Any can make multiple attempts as needed before the clock expires. The slowest car in this session does not make the Indy 500.
5:25-5:55 p.m.: The Fast Six determines the first two rows. Each car gets one four-lap attempt, starting with the 6th-fastest from the 3:05 p.m. session, then the 5th, etc. Fastest in this session starts the race from the pole position, and the rest fill Rows 1 and 2 based their attempts in this session.
Who has the most Indy 500 pole positions?
Rick Mears had 6 (1979, '82, '86, '88, '89, '91)
2024 Indy 500 drivers who have won the pole
Scott Dixon, 5 (2008, '15, '17, '21, '22)
Helio Castroneves, 4 (2003, '07, '09, '10)
Ed Carpenter, 3 (2013, '14, '18)
Marco Andretti, 1 (2020)
Alex Palou, 1 (2023)
Indy 500 pole-sitters who also won the race
1922: Jimmy Murphy
1923: Tommy Milton
1930: Billy Arnold
1938: Floyd Roberts
1953: Bill Vukovich
1956: Pat Flaherty
1963: Parnelli Jones
1970: Al Unser
1976: Johnny Rutherford
1979: Rick Mears
1980: Johnny Rutherford
1981: Bobby Unser
1988: Rick Mears
1991: Rick Mears
1994: Al Unser Jr.
1997: Arie Luyendyk
2004: Buddy Rice
2006: Sam Hornish Jr.
2008: Scott Dixon
2009: Helio Castroneves
2019: Simon Pagenaud
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 qualifying 2024: What day is pole position determined?
