How does 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying work?

As ever, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 in 2025 is to take place over two days, Saturday, 17th and Sunday, 18th of May. 

The race itself is on Sunday, 25th May as part of motorsport's bumper day that also includes the Monaco Grand Prix and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600. 

This year, 2021 NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson is back to attempt 'Double Duty' as he hopes to complete all 1,100 laps in the 500 and the Coke 600 for the second straight year.

12 months ago, his attempts were thwarted by a rain delay to the Indy race, with that very same rain cell forcing an early end to the Coke 600 down in North Carolina after he had travelled and arrived to assume his car from the relief driver who had started.

Larson is back with the McLaren-backed squad, whilst defending race-winner Josef Newgarden is looking to go back-to-back at Brickyard, but first and before any milk is drunk, we need to set the grid in qualifying.

Below is your guide as to how qualifying for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 works!

How 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying works

Every car in the 34-strong field is guaranteed one four-lap run of the 2.5-mile oval, with the qualifying speed then calculated by taking the average speed of those four laps in miles per hour. 

In 2024, Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin set a new all-time record of 234.220mph on his pole run. 

Once every car in the field has completed its guaranteed run, the pit lane is then split into two lanes - Lane 1 and Lane 2. 

Those in Lane 2 can access the track whenever it is clear, with only one car allowed on a run at a time, and attempt to improve their time, but crucially, do not lose the time they already have on the board.

Those drivers who enter Lane 1 have priority for track access over those in Lane 2, and their banked run is then scrubbed from the records with whatever the new lap average is standing as the new time - even if it is slower than the guaranteed run. 

The top 30 in the times are then locked into the 500 regardless, with positions 13-30 locked in as 1-12 advance through to Sunday's running, along with those in positions 31-34.

How Day 2 of 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying works

The first order of business on Day 2 of Indy 500 qualifying is the Fast 12.

This sees the drivers in 1-12 from Saturday running in a similar process to whittle them down to the final six who will eventually go for pole position, with the cars running from 12th fastest to 1st based on Saturday's times.

Drivers who place P7-P12 then take these grid spots for the race.

After that has been sorted, comes the bumping of one driver from the driver.

Only 33 cars are allowed to start the race and with 34 on the entry list, it means one driver is going home. 

Those who finished P31-P34 in Saturday's running must run again, with a guaranteed run permitted for each driver before the Lane 1 and Lane 2 system is again deployed.

The session runs until the clock hits zero, with the driver who is placed P34 'bumped' from the field and will not start the race.

Following on from the last chance qualifying, comes the Fast Six, with each car again guaranteed one four-lap run of IMS in the 30-minute session. 

Whoever is quickest here earns pole position for the Indy 500, as they take up grid positions P1-P6 for the first two rows of the three-wide grid.