Driving an IndyCar around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is dangerous and usually results in spectacular crashes. However, up to this point, there has not been a single serious incident at the track this year, aside from a light brush with the wall by Takuma Sato. So why have there been so few incidents during this year’s Indy 500?

1. Cool temperatures during practice

Most of last week’s practice sessions took place in relatively cool conditions. Temperatures often failed to rise above 64°F (18°C). Lower track temperatures at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway provide more grip, making the cars easier for drivers to control. As a result, the chances of a driver losing control are significantly reduced.

Remarkably, wind does not appear to have played a decisive role in the lack of incidents. Drivers experienced winds from nearly every direction during the opening week of the Indy 500, except for easterly winds. Wind strength also does not seem to have been a major factor, as the strongest winds of the week occurred during the Fast 6 qualifying session, with sustained winds around 25 mph and gusts reaching 29 mph (46 km/h).

2. No pressure to perform in qualifying

This year, there are ‘only’ 33 entries for the Indy 500, meaning there was no bumping during qualifying weekend. As a result, teams did not need to take as many risks with their qualifying setups.

Ultimately, the Indy 500 can be won from nearly any starting position. Drivers and teams who did not realistically consider themselves pole contenders likely focused more heavily on race setup during practice than they normally would if there had been a genuine risk of failing to qualify for the race.

The drivers and teams who did consider themselves contenders for pole position may have taken more risks during qualifying, but these are primarily highly experienced competitors.

3. Fewer qualifying runs

Saturday qualifying is traditionally the session in which by far the most qualifying runs are completed. Last year, 73 qualifying attempts were made on Saturday alone. Some drivers completed only one run, while others attempted three or even four runs.

Because Saturday qualifying was moved to Sunday this year, every driver was limited to just a single qualifying attempt. That significantly reduced the total number of qualifying runs and, naturally, the chances of incidents occurring.

4. Technical stability

From a technical standpoint, the cars are nearly identical to last year’s machines, aside from several small safety-related updates. As a result, teams had less need to search for the optimal setup compared to last season.

Last year, the balance of the cars was heavily affected by the introduction of the hybrid system, which added more than 100 pounds and was mounted at the rear of the car.

It should also be noted that the overall level of the current field is extremely high — the days of true backmarkers appear to be over. Although this has been a trend for several years now, it remains an important factor. Many external circumstances have contributed to this ‘perfect’ week in terms of incidents, but ultimately it is still the drivers who must keep these cars under control at extremely high speeds.

Whether this trend will continue during the second week of the Indy 500 remains to be seen. Monday practice will take place in very hot conditions, while temperatures are expected to drop back to around 68°F (20°C) by Carb Day on Friday. Race Day is currently forecast to feature temperatures around 79°F (26°C), which could increasingly turn grip into a major issue during the race.