INDIANAPOLIS — Here are 33 things to know ahead of the 2024 Indianapolis 500:
1. The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 26, 2024. The race consists of 200 laps around the 2 1/2-mile track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a total of 500 miles.
The first "500" was held May 30, 1911, and was won by Ray Harroun. The race has been held on or near Memorial Day every year, with three exceptions: No races were held in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I and from 1942 through 1945 during World War II, and was held August 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gates open at 6 a.m. on race day, with the green flag flying at 12:45 p.m.
2. Defending champion Josef Newgarden looks to become the first driver in more than 20 years to repeat as the Indy 500 winner. Hélio Castroneves won his first two entries into the 500 in 2001 and 2002, and no driver has defended their title since.
Only five drivers in history have won consecutive Indy 500s.
In addition to immortality, a second-straight Indy 500 win would net Newgarden nearly a half-million dollars from BorgWarner. The company started a rolling jackpot in 1995, increasing the jackpot by $20,000 each year a driver fails to repeat as champion. Only Castroneves has claimed the pot, which currently sits at $440,000.
3. Speaking of Castroneves, all eyes will again be on his No. 06 car on Race Day as he tries to become the first driver to win five Indianapolis 500s. In addition to the 2001 and 2002 win, Castroneves finished first in 2009, then set off a wild celebration in 2021 when he became the fourth four-time winner in race history.
4. No drivers can join Castroneves in the "Four-Timers Club" this year, but one driver will have a chance to become the 11th driver to win the race at least three times.
Takuma Sato, who won the 2017 and 2020 races, will be trying to make it to Victory Lane for the third time at Indianapolis. Dario Franchitti is the most recent driver to join the three-time winners group, with his victory in the 2012 race.
5. In addition to Newgarden and 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson, five drivers — Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Will Power and Alexander Rossi — will be making a run at their second Indianapolis 500 victory. In addition to the 10 drivers who have won three or more 500s, 10 others have won the race twice.
6. Seventy-five American drivers have won the Indianapolis 500, including Newgarden, a Tennessee native.
The number of American winners is slightly skewed by history, however, as U.S.-born drivers won all but nine Indy 500s from 1911 through 1988.
Thirteen Americans are slated to start this year's race.
7. Despite the pride the Indianapolis 500 brings to Hoosiers from all corners of the state, it's been more than 80 years since a driver born in Indiana has won the race.
Shelbyville's Wilbur Shaw won the race in 1937, 1939 and 1940. His third victory was the last time an Indiana native stood atop the victory podium at IMS.
Noblesville native Conor Daly again carries the Hoosier flag into this year's Indy 500, as the lone Indiana-born driver in the race. He’ll be driving the No. 24 car for DRR-CUSICK MOTORSPORTS and will honor another Indiana native who raced No. 24 around IMS, Jeff Gordon.
Owner/driver Ed Carpenter was born in Illinois, but the Butler University grad lists Indianapolis as his hometown and would no doubt bring the house down with a victory on May 26.
Even with an eight-decade drought, Indiana still holds a share of the record for most winning drivers and race wins. Seven different Hoosiers have won the Indianapolis 500 a total of nine times, tying Indiana with California (seven drivers) and Kansas (nine race wins).
Three Californians – Colton Herta, Kyle Larson and 2016 champ Alexander Rossi – will try to win the ninth race by a native of the Golden State.
8. Ten rookies have won the Indianapolis 500, including Castroneves and Rossi — the most recent rookie winner in 2016. Before Juan Pablo Montoya's win in 2000, it had been 34 years since Graham Hill won his debut in 1966 and 38 years before that when Louis Meyer won in his first Indy 500.
Six rookies are in the field for this year's race — Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Kyle Larson, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen and Kyffin Simpson.
With their qualification for the race, more than 800 unique drivers (801) will have started the Indianapolis 500 in its long history.
9. Simpson, 19, has a chance to make history as the youngest driver to ever win the 500. Troy Ruttman was 22 years and 80 days old when he won the 1952 race.
10. In addition to Simpson, six other drivers are looking to become the first driver born in the 2000s to win the Indianapolis 500. That list includes Marcus Armstrong, Colton Herta, Christian Lundgaard, Christian Rasmussen, Sting Ray Robb, Simpson and Rinus VeeKay.
11. As for the old guys, a Castroneves win would not only make history as his fifth victory in the 500, but he would also become the oldest winner in race history. The Brazilian turned 49 on May 10.
Four-time winner Al Unser Sr. holds the current mark, winning his fourth 500 at the age of 47 years, 360 days.
Takuma Sato would fall 240 days shy of Unser’s mark should the 47-year-old claim his third 500 win.
12. Kyle Larson is joining a select group of drivers and is trying to make history on two ovals May 26.
Larson will attempt “The Double,” by racing in the Indianapolis 500 in the afternoon, then flying to Charlotte to drive in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 that night.
Just four drivers have attempted the feat a total of nine times. Robby Gordon drove in both races in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Indiana native Tony Stewart first did “The Double” in 1999, then again in 2001, when he became the only driver in history to complete all 1,100 miles in the day.
The late John Andretti (1994) and Kurt Busch (2014) also accomplished the feat.
13. No matter the winner, we know the day will end with the champion drinking (and probably wearing) a cold bottle of milk on the Victory Podium.
The tradition dates back to Louis Meyer, who drank buttermilk after his wins in 1933 and 1936.
According to the Indiana Dairy Association, 26 drivers in this year's field have opted for whole milk should they win, with five drivers choosing 2% and the other two — Christian Lundgaard and Christian Rasmussen — picking skim milk.
14. For the second straight year, a female driver will take the green flag to start the Indianapolis 500. Katherine Legge, who has started the 500 three times, qualified 31st for this year’s race, a year after starting 30th.
Her four-lap qualifying average of 231.070 mph in 2023 was the fastest ever by a woman at IMS, topping Sarah Fisher's 2002 mark of 229.439 mph and her fastest single lap during qualifying, 231.627 mph, bested the previous mark of 230.201 set by Simona de Silvestro in 2021.
Legge is one of nine women to drive in the Indianapolis 500. They have combined for 50 starts in the race, led by Fisher's nine races. Danica Patrick set the bar for highest starting position (4th) and highest finish (3rd) by a female driver, accomplishing both in the 2005 race.
15. The Snake Pit will again be bumping inside Turn 3 at IMS.
This year's list of performers includes Excision, Dom Dolla, Gryffin, Sullivan King and Timmy Trumpet.
16. The final tune-up for Race Day, Carb Day, again has a full schedule of activities, including the last two hours of practice before the 500 and the pit stop challenge ahead of George Thorogood & The Destroyers taking the infield stage for the May 24 concert.
Gin Blossoms will open the show.
17. Jordin Sparks will sing the national anthem before Sunday’s race, followed moments later by Jim Cornelison’s rendition of “(Back Home Again in) Indiana,” a role he has filled since 2017.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be back performing the traditional flyovers after the performances. They have recently flown over the 2020 and 2022 races in recent years.
“American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips will sing "God Bless America" before the race. The singer will also perform at the 2024 AES 500 Festival Parade on Saturday, May 25.
18. The field will be led to the green flag by the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, which was unveiled May 8.
Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will be behind the wheel of the pace car this year.
19. After the pre-race traditions have taken place, actors Austin Butler and Jodie Comer will wave the green flag to start the 2024 Indianapolis 500.
Butler is best known for portraying Elvis Presley in Buz Luhrmann’s biopic, “Elvis,” winning a BAFTA and Golden Globe for his performance, while Comer won an Emmy and BAFTA for her role as Villanelle in “Killing Eve.”
20. Team Penske swept the front row in qualifying for the first time since 1988, with Scott McLaughlin starting on the pole, next to teammates Will Power and Josef Newgarden.
But starting up front may not be a sign of things to come, as Simon Pagenaud – also a Penske driver at the time – is the last driver to win from the pole when he claimed victory in 2019.
21. Dixon has led at least one lap in 15 of the 21 Indianapolis 500s he has entered, a mark he shares with 2013 winner Tony Kanaan. Last year, Dixon became the all-time lap leader in Indianapolis 500 history, having now led 665 laps in his career.
Castroneves has led at least one lap in 14 races at Indianapolis, one spot behind his fellow race winners.
22. Whether or not he wins his fifth Indy 500, Castroneves will likely check off another milestone shortly after the start of this year's race.
He has completed 4,398 race laps in his career in the Indianapolis 500, totaling 10,995 miles. He will need to complete just two laps to reach the 11,000-mile plateau. Only fellow four-time winner A.J. Foyt has completed more (4,909 laps for 12,272 1/2 miles).
With 131 laps completed in Sunday’s race, Scott Dixon will join Foyt, Castroneves and Al Unser Sr. as the only drivers to complete more than 10,000 miles in the Indianapolis 500. Heading into the race, Dixon has driven 9,672 ½ miles in the Indy 500. He is just 205 miles (82 laps) shy of matching Tony Kanaan for fourth in the all-time list of miles completed.
If Marco Andretti completes all 200 laps Sunday, he will reach exactly 9,000 miles driven at Indianapolis.
23. Ed Carpenter will be entering his 21st Indianapolis 500, but is still looking for his first win.
Only George Snider (22 starts) and Gary Bettenhausen (21) have started as many or more Indy 500s without claiming victory.
Carpenter has led in seven of his 20 starts for a total of 146 laps and has finished in the top 10 six times, including three top five finishes. He finished second to Will Power in the 2018 race. He has started from the pole position three times.
24. Once again this year, cash is no longer king at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IMS announced in 2022 the track is going "cashless" during the month of May, with only credit/debit card purchases or payments by phone being accepted inside the track.
If you find yourself with only cash on hand, "Cash-to-Card" machines are available to transfer the money to a debit card that can be used at IMS gift shops and concession stands, then anywhere MasterCard or Visa debit cards are accepted.
You can still use cash for parking and gate admission.
25. Race weekend continues away from the track with the 68th AES 500 Festival Parade on the streets of downtown Saturday, May 25.
Fifteen marching bands will join the parade through the streets of downtown, which will also include Grand Marshal Tamika Catchings, state and city leaders and the 33 drivers who will race in the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Others featured in the parade include Phillip Phillips, who will perform to open the parade, Jim Cornelison, who will return to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana” before Sunday’s race, Lt. Gen. Jon A. Jensen, along with members of the Indianapolis Colts and Indy Eleven.
The parade starts at 11:45 a.m. and will be broadcast locally on Channel 13 and nationally on the Peacock streaming service.
26. While you're downtown for the parade, you'll notice several streets may have new names.
Thirty-three street signs were posted in recent weeks honoring the drivers in the field for this year's race.
Here's where you can find your favorite driver's sign.
27. If you can believe it, this year's race will be Marco Andretti's 19th start in the Indy 500, three more than his father, Michael.
Marco finished second in his first 500 and has added four more top-five finishes to his resume, along with the pole position in 2020, but like his father, he's never won. Michael Andretti's 431 laps led remains the most by a driver without a win in the 500.
Among active drivers without an Indy victory, Marco has led 144 laps, two behind Carpenter's 146.
28. The driver who has started from the pole has won the Indy 500 21 times, more than any other starting position. The front row has combined to win 45 races, with the second place qualifier winning 11 times and third place 13.
However, the last polesitter to win the 500 was Simon Pagenaud back in 2019.
The highest starting position to never have won the Indy 500? 18th — the spot occupied by Kyffin Simpson in this year's race.
The other starting spots that have yet to visit Victory Lane: 23rd, 24th, 26th, as well as the spots between 29 and 33.
29. A note for the numerologists looking to pick a winner in this year's race: Cars sporting No. 3 have won the Indianapolis 11 times, more than any other number in race history.
Josef Newgarden’s 2023 win in the No. 2 was the 10th win by a car with that number. The No. 1 car has the third-most wins of any number with seven victories, but hasn't driven to victory since Al Unser's third of four wins in the 1971 race.
There is no No. 1 car entered in this year's race. Josef Newgarden drives the No. 2, and Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin will race the No. 3.
30. Still looking for a number angle? Consider this: The last 10 Indianapolis 500 winners have driven a car with an even number:
2023: No. 2 Josef Newgarden
2022: No. 8 Marcus Ericsson
2021: No. 06 Hélio Castroneves
2020: No. 30 Takuma Sato
2019: No. 22 Simon Pagenaud
2018: No. 12 Will Power
2017: No. 26 Takuma Sato
2016: No. 98 Alexander Rossi
2015: No. 2 Juan Pablo Montoya
2014: No. 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay
31. Eyes will be on the sky long before the flyover roars over the front stretch at the beginning of the race.
While the goal is to complete 200 laps for 500 miles, the race becomes "official" after 101 laps (252 1/2 miles) — just past the halfway point.
That's almost exactly what happened in 1976, when Johnny Rutherford took the checkered flag after just 102 laps due to rain.
A total of seven races, including that 1976 500, have been shortened due to rain:
1926: 160 laps
1950: 138 laps
1973: 133 laps
1975: 174 laps
1976: 102 laps
2004: 180 laps
2007: 166 laps
32. If the rain stays away, the next concern is the temperature.
The hottest Indy 500 on record took place in 1937, when the temperature reached 92 degrees. More recently, the races in 2012 and 2018 were run in 91-degree heat.
The coldest high temperature on race day came in 1992, when the high got to just 58 degrees in Indianapolis.
33. If you're thinking about leaving early to beat the traffic, think again.
Fourteen times in the last 14 races, a driver who led the 500 in the final 10 laps failed to win the race. That included three lead changes at the end of the 2021 race and last year’s controversial finish after the race was stopped three times in the final 16 laps to clean up the track after a crash.
Among the most famous late lead changes in Indy history came in the 2011 race, when Dan Wheldon passed JR Hildebrand on the final front stretch after Hildebrand hit the wall in Turn 4 on the last lap of the race. It was the only time Wheldon led in the race, setting the mark for the fewest laps led by an Indy 500 winner.