All About the 2025 Indy 500

The Indianapolis 500 – shortened to the Indy 500 – is one of the legendary races in the motorsport world and the most important race on the IndyCar Series calendar. The race is held every year on the last Sunday of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, near the American city of Indianapolis.

The race covers 500 miles, which translates to 200 laps on the 2.5-mile (4 km) oval. The race is traditionally a test of endurance: with a race time of three hours, engines often running at full throttle, and walls close to the track, there are often many retirements. Drivers must be very fit to handle the high G-forces and remain focused for such a long period.

The Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has over 250,000 grandstand seats, and in recent years, around 325,000 spectators attended 'Race Day.'

The Indy 500 is one of the three legendary races in the world, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix. These three races together are often referred to as the 'Triple Crown of Motorsports.' Graham Hill is the only driver to have won all three races in the 'Triple Crown': Monaco in 1964, 1965, 1968, and 1969, the Indy 500 in 1966, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972.

Everything about the Indy 500 is different. Due to the race's name and fame, teams often enter extra cars, bringing the field up to a maximum of 33 cars. More cars can participate in the practice sessions, but only 33 cars can start the race. This often leads to drama on 'Bump Day,' the day that determines who qualifies for the race and who doesn't.

While other IndyCar races are 2- or 3-day events, the Indy 500 lasts two weeks. The first week is dedicated to practice sessions (four days with at least six hours of track time each day) and the qualifying weekend. By the end of that weekend, it is known which 33 cars have qualified for the race and who has won the prestigious pole position.

The 2025 edition of the Indy 500 will be held on Sunday, May 25, with the green flag waving at 12:45 PM ET.

View the full Indy 500 schedule during May

In the first 106 editions of the Indy 500, 74 different drivers have won the race. However, four drivers stand out with four victories each:

AJ Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977)

Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, and 1991)

Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, and 1987)

Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021)

Every year, 33 drivers participate in the Indy 500. The field mostly consists of regular drivers from other IndyCar races. In 2025, there will be 27 cars that take part of the entire IndyCar season, plus a few additional cars. These extra cars are mainly entered by full-time teams, but some teams only compete in the Indy 500.

View the provisional Entry List for the 2025 Indy 500

The Indy 500 is one of the fastest races in the world, with speeds of over 230 miles per hour (370 km/h). Drivers are at full throttle for most of the lap, and with four long corners, high speeds are achieved on each lap.

The lap record is held by Arie Luyendyk, who set the record in 1996 with a speed of 237.498 miles per hour (382.216 km/h).

Motorsport is dangerous, and the Indy 500 is no exception. Since the first edition of the race, 58 drivers have died at the event. The last fatality was Scott Brayton in 1996.