Will another recognizable driver fail to qualify for the 2024 Indianapolis 500?
A year ago, Graham Rahal was the only driver to miss the race after failing to post a qualifying effort fast enough to make the 33-car field. And just like last season, on May 26, 34 cars have been registered for 33 spots for the 2024 Indy 500.
Qualifying for the 108th edition of the race will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Rahal eventually found himself in the field when he replaced Stefan Wilson in the part-time No. 24 car, but his failure to qualify was one of the biggest pre-Indy 500 stories in years.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of this year’s qualifying sessions.
The weekend qualifying format
Drivers must string together four consecutive laps during a qualifying attempt and their average speed over those four laps is their qualifying speed. Saturday’s qualifying order will be determined via a random drawing on Friday.
Each of the 34 drivers participating in the race will have the opportunity to complete at least one qualifying run on Saturday. After everyone has made a run, teams are given the opportunity to make another run if they wish. Those who want to make another run can queue up to enter the track in the regular queue or enter the priority lane.
Teams entering the priority lane can jump over the teams in the other row and get onto the track first, but they must revoke their previous qualifying times. Those in the regular line can stand at their previous time.
The twelve fastest drivers from Saturday will have the opportunity to race for pole position on Sunday, while drivers Nos. 13-30 will be locked into those starting spots.
Saturday’s Nos. 31-34 drivers will race to fill the 11th row on Sunday. The slowest of the four drivers will not miss the race.
Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 attempt
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson aims to be the fifth driver to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Larson would be the first driver to run both races since Kurt Busch last did so in 2024.
Larson will miss most of the NASCAR All-Star Race festivities this weekend as he tries to qualify for the 500. If he qualifies between 13th and 30th, he will be back in plenty of time for Sunday night’s All-Star Race. If he’s in the top 12 or has to make another run for the last row on Sunday, he’ll have to rush back to North Carolina for the NASCAR race.
Larson has shown enough speed in the limited results of practice this week that he is unlikely to fight for a place on the grid. He should easily qualify for the race, barring an error in qualifying on Saturday, and could even have a shot at a front-line starting spot.
Other drivers try the 500
Larson is not the only high-profile driver participating in the race who will not be driving full-time in IndyCar this season. Four-time Indy 500 Helio Castroneves is back for another chance to win a fifth race at age 49. 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is also in the field, along with two-time winner Takuma Sato. Hunter-Reay races for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing while Sato is back with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato drove for the team when he won the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2020.
Marco Andretti also attempts the race. Andretti, who now competes part-time in NASCAR’s ARCA and Truck Series, has made 18 Indy 500 starts. His best finish was second in 2006, when he was passed by Sam Hornish Jr. on the final lap.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s pole streak
Chip Ganassi Racing has been the team to beat during qualifying in recent seasons.
CGR drivers have won the last three pole positions as Scott Dixon started first in 2021 and 2022 and defending champion Alex Palou won the pole in 2023. Palou’s average speed of 234.217 MPH was the fastest four-lap average in pole history qualifying for the Indy 500.
In total, Ganassi drivers have achieved eight pole positions since 1993. That’s only behind Team Penske. The IndyCar Series ownership team has 18 pole positions for the Indy 500.
Winning the pole for the 500 is not always a good indicator of success in the race. Only one driver, Simon Pagenaud in 2019, has won the race from pole position since Dixon and Castroneves won back-to-back 500s from pole position in 2008 and 2009.
