Preparations for Indy 500 Begin This Week with Open Test

The traditional 'Month of May' hasn’t started yet, but teams are already kicking off their preparations for the upcoming Indy 500 this week. On Wednesday and Thursday – April 23 and 24 – an open test will be held in preparation for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. During this test, rookies will get their first opportunity to complete the Rookie Orientation Program, and drivers can prepare for both qualifying and the race.

The open test gives participating teams a chance to focus directly on race and qualifying preparations. On Wednesday, running will take place with the standard turbo boost level. At 10:05 AM ET, the day begins with a session for veteran drivers, followed at 12:00 PM by the Rookie Orientation Program and refresher training — intended for part-time IndyCar drivers who have previously competed in the Indy 500. After that, the track will be open for four hours for all drivers.

On Thursday, drivers will get the chance to specifically prepare for qualifying, with a session from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM ET that allows increased turbo boost — similar to what is used during Fast Friday and qualifying. After a two-hour break, another session will take place from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET using the standard boost level.

Full Schedule

Wednesday, April 23
10:05 AM – 12:00 PM: Veteran driver practice
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Rookie Orientation Program and refresher training
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Open practice for all drivers

Thursday, April 24
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM: High boost practice (qualifying prep)
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Practice with standard boost

Participants in the Open Test

All 34 confirmed entries for the Indy 500 will take part in the test, including all one-off entries.

Check out the full Indy 500 entry list

How to Follow the Open Test

The open test will be broadcast live on the IndyCar Series YouTube channel, featuring commentary by Allen Bestwick and James Hinchcliffe, with Georgia Henneberry reporting from pit lane. Live-timing will also be available on IndyCar.com.