IndyCar Grand Prix at Indy road course: How to watch on NBC, start times, schedules, streaming
After a season filled with off-track headlines (and many negative), the NTT IndyCar Series can turn the focus back on its most famous racetrack in its biggest month of the year.
Saturday's Sonsio Grand Prix will herald the dawn of three race weekends of action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, starting on the 14-turn 2.439-mile road course through the infield. Next week, IndyCar will move to the 2.5-mile oval for practice and qualifying in the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500.
After several seasons of multiple races on the IMS road course, this will mark the series' only stop in 2024. Last year, it's where Alex Palou kicked off his dominant charge to a second championship. The Chip Ganassi Racing star won by more than 16 seconds over Pato O'Ward in first of four victories in five races and the Indy 500 pole.
Josef Newgarden is the defending Indy 500 winner, but the two-time champion and Team Penske enter Indy under a cloud of fallout from the push-to-pass scandal. After the series disqualified Newgarden and teammate Scott McLaughlin from the season opener, team owner Roger Penske issued four suspensions for May. The punishment includes two key members of Newgarden's No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet — strategist Tim Cindric (also the team president) and engineer Luke Mason.
Also affected was Penske's Will Power, who lost strategist Ron Ruzewski and data engineer Robbie Atkinson. But Power, who enters with the momentum of having been runner-up to teammate Scott McLaughlin at Barber Motorsports Park, has a series-best five victories on this layout from 2015-21.
Here are the details for the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway race weekend (all times are ET):
INDYCAR SONSIO INDY GP START TIMES
TV: Saturday, May 11, 3 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Leigh Diffey is the announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Marty Snider and Kevin Lee are the pit reporters. Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for both practices and qualifying and Indy NXT races. (Click here for information on how to sign up for Peacock.)
COMMAND TO START ENGINES: 3:39 p.m. ET
GREEN FLAG: 3:45 p.m. ET
POSTRACE SHOW ON PEACOCK: After the race’s conclusion, an exclusive postrace show will air on Peacock with driver interviews, postrace analysis and the podium presentation. To watch the extended postrace show, click over to the special stream on Peacock after the race ends.
INDYCAR RADIO NETWORK: The IndyCar and Indy Lights races and all practices and qualifying sessions will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the IndyCar app.
PRACTICE: Friday, 9:30 a.m. (Peacock), 1:10 p.m. (Peacock); Saturday warmup, 11:15 a.m. (Peacock)
QUALIFYING: Friday, 4:20 p.m. (Peacock)
RACE DISTANCE: The race is 85 laps (207.3 miles) on a 14-turn, 2.39-mile road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
TIRE ALLOTMENT: Five sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. Indy NXT: Four new sets to be used during the doubleheader weekend. Two carryover sets from the Barber event may be used in practice prior to qualifying.
PUSH TO PASS: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. The push-to-pass, which delivers roughly 50 extra horsepower, is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. (Indy NXT: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.)
FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 68 degrees with a 15% chance of rain at the green flag.
ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 27 cars entered at the Sonsio Grand Prix
INDY NXT ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 21 cars entered at Indy
INDY SONSIO GP WEEKEND SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, MAY 9
Noon-1 p.m.: USF2000 Test 1
1:10-2:10 p.m.: USF Pro 2000 Test 1
2:20-3;20 p.m.: USF2000 Test 2
3:30-4:30 p.m.: USF Pro 2000 Test 2
5:10-5:40 p.m.: USF2000 practice
5:50-6:20 p.m.: USF Pro 2000 practice
6:30-7:30 p.m.: Track walk
FRIDAY, MAY 10
7:55-8:25 a.m.: USF2000 qualifying
8:40-9:10 a.m.: USF Pro 2000 qualifying
9:30-10:45 a.m.: IndyCar practice (Peacock)
11:05-:11:55 a.m.: Indy NXT practice
12:10-12:50 p.m.: USF2000 Race 1
1:10-2:10 p.m.: IndyCar practice (Peacock)
2:30-3 p.m.: Indy NXT qualifying
3:15-4 p.m.: USF Pro 2000 Race 1
4:20-5:50 p.m.: IndyCar qualifying (Peacock)
6:20-7:15 p.m.: Indy NXT Race 1 (Peacock)
SATURDAY, MAY 11
7:55-8:40 a.m.: USF Pro 2000 Race 2
8:55-9:35 a.m.: USF2000 Race 2
11:15-11:45 a.m.: IndyCar warmup practice (Peacock)
Noon-12:45 p.m.: USF Pro 2000 Race 3
1:10-2:05 p.m.: Indy NXT Race 2 (Peacock)
3:45 p.m.: IndyCar Sonsio Grand Prix (NBC, Peacock)
2024 SEASON RECAPS
ROUND 1: Josef Newgarden dominates in season opener l Results, points
$1 MILLION CHALLENGE: Alex Palou takes big payday l Results
ROUND 2: Scott Dixon sublimely saves fuel to win Long Beach l Results, points
ROUND 3: Scott McLaughlin wins from the pole at Barber l Results, points
INDYCAR COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS
Despite suspensions, Will Power remains confident
Team Penske suspends four key team members for May
Myles Rowe focused on reaching IndyCar in 2025
Josef Newgarden disqualified from GP of St. Pete; Pato O’Ward declared winnner
Kyle Larson “finally ready” to tackle the Indy 500
Katherine Legge back at Indy 500 with Dale Coyne Racing and beauty brand sponsor
Prema Racing will join IndyCar with two cars for 2025 season
Major face time for Josef Newgarden at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Newgarden paces Indy 500 Open Test; Kyle Larson second fastest
Christian Lundgaard being courted by teams but putting trust in Rahal
IndyCar reacts to Pato O’Ward’s $10 million salary revelation
Marcus Ericsson fits in perfectly as new face in Andretti Global star trio
Six major issues facing IndyCar entering the 2024 season
What’s new for IndyCar teams in 2024
Callum Ilott will replace David Malukas at St. Pete
Dale Coyne Racing announces lineup for season opener
IndyCar stars meet with Penske executives on big issues ahead of 2024 season
Pato O’Ward signs contract extension with Arrow McLaren
Marcus Ericsson paces parade of new faces at preseason Sebring test
IndyCar reveals host of changes, including practice and restart tweaks, lighter parts, safety, hybrid details
Jon Bon Jovi to lead IndyCar field to the green flag for St. Pete season opener
Kyle Larson enjoys “old school feel” at Phoenix IndyCar test
David Malukas sidelined for season opener with injury
Callum Ilott testing for Arrow McLaren in place of Malukas
IndyCar moving season finale from downtown Nashville to superspeedway
When will IndyCar return to the streets of downtown Nashville?
Scott Dixon, Alex Palou to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans
WHEN IS THE INDY 500: A primer on the 108th edition of the world’s biggest race
HOW TO WATCH INDYCAR IN 2024: Full NBC Sports schedule
