Practice will begin on Tuesday, May 12, and Time Trials will be held on May 16–17. Carb Day, the traditional final day of practice, along with thePit Stop Challenge, will take place on May 22.[2] An open test is planned for April 28–29.Álex Palou is thedefending winner, and three-time defendingIndyCar Series champion.
Since the2019 race, according to track president J. Douglas Boles, the Speedway began investigating bumps in Turn 2. During the 2025 track evaluation before the race, the Turn 2 bump in question was considerably higher than in the past, so the pavement was pressed to attempt to reduce the severity back to 2024 levels. However, in July 2025, during theNASCAR In-Season ChallengeBrickyard 400, the severity of the bumps in Turn 2 were reported by drivers and crew chiefs during the track walk and all sessions.[5]
The Speedway on September 23, 2025, excavated the section of track in question. Bricks originally installed when the track was paved in 1909 that had been paved over in 1937 expanded and split because of moisture that raised the pavement. The bricks were removed, a new base applied, and that section of the track was repaved, followed by diamond grinding to blend the new section with the other sections of the track. The section of track was allowed to cure for four weeks before the late October Speedway tests for Firestone.[6]
A new Independent Officiating Board (IOB) has been created, tasked with presiding over theIndyCar Series andIndy NXT. The new entity, titled IndyCar Officiating, Inc. will be led by three members:Ray Evernham, Raj Nair (Ford), and Ronan Morgan (FIA).[7] The decisions separates race control and technical inspection fromPenske Entertainment, which ownsINDYCAR and theIndianapolis Motor Speedway, in an effort to eliminate perceived conflicts of interest. In2025,Team Penske was penalized for technical infractions during qualifying, resulting in two cars being moved to the back of the grid, monetary fines, and points deductions.[8][9][10] The controversy led to the dismissal of team presidentTim Cindric,[11] and widespread calls for officiating reform. In January 2026, Team Penske revealed that Cindric had returned to the team as a strategist.[12]
Online financial services company Gainbridge signed an initial four-year deal forpresenting sponsorship of the Indianapolis 500 from 2019 to 2022.[13] A multi-year extension was signed in 2022.[14][15] On November 6, 2025, Gainbridge signed another multi-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.[16]
Rookie rules for the Indianapolis 500 include the mandate that a driver pass a supervised high-speed oval test before he/she is allowed to participate in the official Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[17] Approved venues for the initial high-speed oval track test includeTexas Motor Speedway,Homestead–Miami Speedway, and a few other select venues.[18]
The Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis consists of three phases. For phase 1, each driver is required to complete ten laps between 205–210 mph (330–338 km/h), while demonstrating satisfactory car control, proper racing line, and safe interaction with other cars on the circuit. The laps do not have to be consecutive. Phase 2 is fifteen laps between 210–215 mph (338–346 km/h), and phase 3 is fifteen laps over 215 mph (346 km/h). Veteran drivers that have not competed in an IndyCar oval race since theprevious year's Indy 500 are required to take a refresher test. The refresher test consists of phase 2 and phase 3 of the aforementioned rookie test.[19]
On October 20–21, 2025, the Speedway organized private testing.Álex Palou (Ganassi) andPato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren) participated in tire tests forFirestone, including evaluating the newly repaved section of track to remove Turn 2 bumps. A new tire compound was developed in order to address weight balance issues stemming from the hybrid system first used at the Speedway in 2025.Alexander Rossi (ECR) andTakuma Sato (RLLR) testedbrake anddamper components for speedway-specific braking systems (used at Indianapolis andNashville, which in 2026 will be a 400-mile race).[20]
PREMA Racing currently has two Chevrolet engine leases for the 2026 IndyCar Series season, but is currently undergoing an ownership shake-up which has left the team in limbo regarding competing in any of the 2026 events.[23]
Colton Herta is competing full time inFormula 2 in 2026. However, since F2 has no races in May, Herta is attempting to put together a program to run withAndretti Global in the No. 98 entry.[24]Katherine Legge, the most recent female to have competed in the Indy 500 (2024), is also pursuing an entry.[25] Should PREMA's two entries, Herta, and Legge join the field, that would move the entry list to 35 entries for the 33 spots.
