Explained: How does today's Indy 500 qualifying work?
This is how qualifying for the 2025 Indy 𝕴500 works

Here is your guide to ho📖w qualifying works for the Indy 500.
Qualifying for the 2025 Indy 500 takes place on ꧅Saturday 17 May and Sunꦫday 18 May.
The Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is o💮n Sunday 25 May.
How does qualifying for Indy 500 work?
There was a field of 34 cars on Sat🦋urday. Each car was all༺owed a four-lap attack of the 2.5 mile oval circuit.
The qualif൩ying order was determined by taking the average speed of those four laps.
After each car completes its run, t♔he pit lane is split into two la♏nes.
Cars in Lane 1 have pri🅰ority for track access. They can improve upon their banked time with a new l𒆙ap average. Beware, if they go slower, they must accept that as their new time.
Those in Lane 2 then have a turn. Those cars can attemꦜpt to improve t💎heir times. But if they fail, they can use their previous best lap time.
This is how Saturday qualifying for the Indy 500 ended
Sunday qualifying for Indy 500
Fast 12 kicks off Sundaไy, the second day of qualifying for the Indy 500.
The first 12 drivers from Saturday💧's order get whittled down to the best six.
Th⭕ey get another 🦩run, with the 12th-placed car on Saturday going first, and the fastest-car from Saturday going last and therefore knowing what time they need to clock.
Drivers placed from P7 to P12 are then guaranteed these s💮tarting posit༺ions for the Indy 500.
Last chance qualifying then comes.
One driver from the original 34 entries mus♉t be eliminated before the Indy 500.
P31 to P34 from Saturday wilꦰl run again. Whoever ends the session in P34 is "bumped" - he's out of the Indy 500.
Then it's time for Fast Six.
A 30-minute s🤪ession 𒊎gives the six cars a guaranteed four-lap run of the circuit.
Whoever go🍸es fastest in this session earns pole position for the Inﷺdy 500.
This session decides the grid placements - P1 to P6 - for next weekend꧟'s race.

James was a sports journalist at S🐓k𝓀y Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.