IndyCar: Month of May schedule leading up to Indy 500
Tuesday, May 16
8.00am – Gates open
9.00-9.05am – Install period, all entries
9.15-11.15am – All oval veterans practice – Peacock
12.40 – Pace Car Ceremony
1.00-3.00pm – Refresher orientation program – Peacock
3.00-6.00pm – All cars practice – Peacock
6.00pm – Gates close
Wednesday, May 17
10.00am – Gates open
12.00-6.00pm – All cars practice – Peacock
6.00pm – Gates close
Thursday, May 18
10.00am – Gates open
12.00-6.00pm – All cars practice – Peacock
6.00pm – Gates close
Friday, May 19
10.00am – Gates open
12.00-6.00pm – All cars practice at 1.5-bar boost – Peacock
6.00pm – Gates close
6.15pm – Qualification order drawing
Saturday, May 20
8.00am – Gates open
8.30-9.00am – Group 1 practice – Peacock
9.00-9.30am – Group 2 practice – Peacock
11.00am-5.50pm – Qualifying – Peacock (2.30-4.30pm NBC)
6.00pm – Gates close
Sunday, May 21
10.00am – Gates open
11.30am-12.30pm – Top 12 practice – Peacock
12.30-1.30pm – Last Chance practice – Peacock
2.00-3.00 – Top 12 qualifying – Peacock
4.00-5.00 – Last Chance qualifying – NBC
5.15-6.00pm – Firestone Fast Six qualifying – NBC
6.00pm – Gates close
6.15pm – Race day pit selection, IndyCar teams move their pits to their race day location
Monday, May 22
11.00am – Gates open
1.00-3.00pm – All cars practice (at 1.3-bar race boost)
3.00pm – Gates close
Tuesday, May 23 thru Thursday, May 25 – Gates closed
Friday, May 26
8.00am – Gates open
11.00am-1.00pm – All cars practice – Peacock
2.30-4.00pm – Pit stop competition – Peacock
3.00pm – Concert gates open
4.00pm – Concert featuring Bryan Adams and Soul Asylum
6.00pm – Gates close
Saturday, May 27
8.00am – Gates open
9.00-10.00am – Driver autograph session
10.30am – Public driver meeting
11.20am – 500 Festival charter buses depart pitlane
12.00-1.30pm – Indy 500 Festival parade in downtown Indy
3.00pm – Gates close
Sunday, May 28
6.00am – Gates open
9.00-9.20am – IndyCars pushed out to pitlane
9.20-9.30am – Engine warm-up #1
9.20-9.40am – Sponsor truck laps
9.30-10.30am – Red Carpet Show
10.15-10.25am – Engine warm-up #2
10.30-10.55am – IndyCars pushed onto grid
10.37-10.44am – Indy winners lap
10.55-10.58am – Historic Indy cars lap
11.00am – NBC coverage begins
11.29-11.31am – Military appreciation lap
11.35-11.45am – Engine warm-up #3
11.47 – Driver introductions to the crowd
11.56 – Driver group photo
12.14 – In grid formation
12.17-12.27 – Invocation/Anthem package
12.29 – “Drivers, to your cars”
12.38 – “Drivers, start your engines”
12.45 – Green flag drops on 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge (200 laps)
4.00pm – NBC coverage concludes
4.00pm – Gates close