Skip to Main Content

News & Multimedia

Qualifying Changes
Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Points Modified Among 2018 Rules Updates

INDYCAR teams have received the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Official Rule Book that includes rules updates and procedural modifications for the upcoming season. Among the changes are the amount of championship points earned for Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

Qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil are set for May 19-20, a week ahead of the 102nd running of the race Sunday, May 27. This year, driver and entrant points will be awarded to the top nine qualifiers for the race. The pole winner earns nine points and the second-fastest qualifier eight points, with awarded points decreasing by one point for each position down to one point earned by the ninth-fastest qualifier.

Race points for the Indianapolis 500 and the 2018 season finale, the Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sept. 16, will still pay double the normal points for driver and entrant.

Two other changes in the rule book will affect Month of May competition in the INDYCAR Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.

  • A schedule change for the month of May will see the INDYCAR garages closed on Sunday, May 13 – the day after the INDYCAR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – to allow teams time off for Mother’s Day. In addition, the track will not be open to the public on this day. The garages will be open Monday, May 14, but there will be no on-track activity. However, the IMS gates will be open and Bronze Badge holders will be provided standard access to the garage area. Practice for the 2018 Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday, May 15 on the IMS oval, with the first two hours open for rookie orientation and veteran refreshers, then to all cars. Practice continues May 16-18, ahead of qualifications weekend May 19-20.


  • The minimum car weight for 2018 has been increased by 10 pounds – to 1,620 pounds for road and street courses (including the INDYCAR Grand Prix) and short ovals, 1,590 pounds for superspeedways (including the Indianapolis 500) – to accommodate for new parts and additional on-car cameras related to the universal aero kit all competitors will run in 2018.


Show More Show Less