Indianapolis 500 Practice Schedule (2025)

FAQs

Is the Indy 500 practice on TV? ›

What channel are Indy 500 practices on? NBC is the network home for the 2024 Indy 500, with Peacock streaming all the action in the practice, warm-up and qualifying rounds.

Gates open: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Practice: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Qualifying: 11 a.m. to 5:50 p.m.

Watch Indy 500: Practice | Peacock.

Please note: INDYCAR SERIES practice, qualifying and races and INDY NXT races are exclusive to NBC/Peacock in the USA.

The INDYCAR Radio Network is the radio home of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. Listen LIVE to every practice session, qualifying session, and race at home, in the car, on the boat or wherever in the world you are.

When to Get There. More than 30,000 people attend the race every year, so make sure you arrive early enough to not get stuck in traffic or lines! Gates open at 6 a.m., so we encourage you to get there by 7:30 or 8 a.m. at the latest.

The race is 500 miles over 200 laps on the 2.5-mile layout. Depending on the number of yellow flags, the Indy 500 typically takes about 3 hours to complete (give or take 30 minutes).

How and when to watch the Indy 500. The 2024 Indy 500 will be held on Sunday, May 26, 2024. The Indianapolis 500 green flag drops at 12:45 p.m. ET (9:45 a.m. PT). The race will air on NBC and stream on Peacock and the platforms featured below.

$7 Domestic Beer, $8 Premium Beer. If you bring in a alcoholic mixer, note that it is very hard to get a cup of ice at the speedway. Soda is sold in plastic bottles, NOT in cups of ice.

Why does the Indy 500 have so much practice? ›

This extra practice period is also sometimes used by teams to reach maximum mileage for engines, as they install a fresh engine for Carb Day and race day. Under current INDYCAR rules, an engine must reach 2,550 miles (or 4,100 km) during the season in order to be eligible for a fresh engine.

There's also a $21,000 entry fee for the Indianapolis 500, which includes access to IndyCar's unified network, your garage space for the month, fuel services, parking, race modes, timing & scoring, etc.

If you hear a faint engine roar coming around the corner, that's because the heart-pounding drama of the Indy 500 is nearly here. And racing fans eager to soak in all the atmosphere and action need look no further than NBC Sports, which will have more than 60 hours of coverage, including practice rounds.

Is the Indy 500 blacked out on local TV? Yes, the Indy 500 won't air live on NBC and Peacock to anyone located within central Indiana. Instead, it will air later in the evening after the race ends. The live local blackout is in place to entice more spectators to attend the race in person.

Two paid tiers are available: ad-based Peacock Premium, at $8 a month; and Premium Plus, the ad-free version that costs $14 monthly. However, if you receive certain Xfinity internet services or have Instacart, you could take advantage of discounts on the price of Peacock -- or even get Peacock Premium free.

NBC and Peacock will have qualifying coverage from 3-6 p.m. ET, starting with Fast 12 qualifying at 3:05 p.m. ET to set positions 7-12 (Rows 3 and 4).

Will the Indy 500 be blacked out in 2024? The Indianapolis 500 local TV blackout is lifted with the delayed start − for area NBC affiliates and on Peacock − according to Boles.

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