Updated Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Procedure

Mann leads Chaves

INDIANAPOLIS – INDYCAR has updated the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Rule Book to account for any car entered in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil unable to complete a guaranteed qualifying attempt due to a mechanical condition or on-track incident on Saturday, the first of two scheduled days of qualifications.

Per Rule 8.4.3.4.4, when there are 33 entries for the Indianapolis 500, any car that fails to complete its guaranteed qualifying attempt on the first day of qualifications because of a mechanical condition or on-track incident, and does not make a second attempt, will be listed at the back of the field after Saturday qualifying and placed in Group 1 second-day qualifying Sunday.

If multiple cars cannot complete their guaranteed attempt Saturday due to those conditions, they will be ordered at the back of the field for Group 1 qualifying based on entrant points. If multiple cars with no entrant points do not complete their guaranteed attempt Saturday, they will be ordered for Sunday qualifying by a blind draw.

View Qualifying Procedure Graphic

First-day qualifying runs from 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m. ET Saturday. Cars may make multiple attempts throughout the day. Only the first time through the qualifying line – determined by a random draw today – is guaranteed.

At the conclusion of Saturday qualifying, the fastest nine cars based on their four-lap qualification attempts advance to Sunday's Fast Nine Shootout to determine the Verizon P1 Award pole winner and the rest of the starting positions in the first three rows for the May 29 race. The remaining 24 cars from Saturday move on to Group 1 qualifying Sunday to determine race starting positions 10-33.

All qualifying times from Saturday are erased for Sunday qualifying. Group 1 qualifying runs from 2:45-4:45 p.m. ET Sunday, with each car making one four-lap attempt in order of slowest to fastest based on Saturday's times. The Fast Nine Shootout takes place from 5-5:45 p.m. ET Sunday, with each car making a four-lap attempt in order of slowest to fastest based on Saturday's times. The top qualifier in the Fast Nine Shootout wins the Verizon P1 Award and will start on the pole position for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

Qualifying airs Saturday on ESPN3 (11 a.m.-3 p.m. ET) and ABC (4-6 p.m. ET) and Sunday on ESPN3 (2:30-4 p.m. ET) and ABC (4-6 p.m. ET). Coverage of the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 11 a.m. ET May 29 on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.

INDYCAR