By: Spencer Neff
May 9, 2025
The month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway kicks off this weekend as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES hits the road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix. IndyCar1909 will be on-site and credentialed for the month.
It is the 12th consecutive season the race serves as a precursor to the Indianapolis 500 and the 17th the series will contest on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn permanent road course in Speedway, Indiana.
As the series continues a busy month, here’s a look at the big stories leading into the weekend.
Headlines
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou continued his dominant start to 2025 last weekend with a victory from the pole at Barber Motorsports Park. The three-time champion heads into the weekend looking to make it three consecutive victories on IMS’ Road Course.
Palou would be the first driver to do so and match Simon Pagenaud for second-most victories (three) here. After finishing runner-up last weekend, Christian Lundgaard makes his first appearance with Arrow McLaren were he made his series debut in 2021 sand won his first pole in 2023.
Despite a record five victories on the IMS Road Course, Will Power has not won at this circuit since 2021. That was the last victory for Team Penske on the road course, where they won eight of the first 11 races contested.
The 27-car field will also have to deal with a new strategy wrinkle. Last weekend, the series announced it would mandate all entrants utilize two sets of each compound (primary and alternate) of the Firestone tires, rather than just one stint (two laps) on each.
“INDYCAR is continually looking into ways to improve an already extraordinary on-track product,”INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said in a release announcing the update on Saturday.
“Firestone is a terrific partner, and their higherdegradation alternate tire has given strategists plenty to think about on road and street circuitsthis year. We expect this update will challenge teams and drivers even more.”
Per INDYCAR, “Following the event on the IMS road course, INDYCAR will review both updated procedures and evaluate its use for future races.”
Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, May 9-Saturday, May 10Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 85 laps / 207.3 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: 35laps / 85.365 miles or 55 minutes (each race)
Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximumsingle duration of 20 seconds. Push to Pass is not available on the initial start or any restartunless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race.
INDY NXT by Firestone:A maximum of 50 activations total or 150 seconds of total push to pass time.
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of425 kilojoules (kj) per lap
Firestone tire allotment:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary (hard) and four sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use oneadditional set of primary tires in the first practice session. Teams must use two sets of primaryand two sets of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
INDY NXT by Firestone: Four new sets to be used during the doubleheader weekend with one new set used for qualifying andanother new set used during each race. A carryover set from the Barber event may be usedduring practice.
X: @IMS, @INDYCAR, #INDYGP, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #INDYGP, #INDYCAR
Threads: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #INDYGP, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @indianapolismotorspeedwy, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @IMS, @INDYCAREvent website: http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/NTT INDYCAR SERIES
website: http://www.indycar.com | INDY NXT by Firestonewebsite: http://www.indynxt.com
2024 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIESAlex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)INDY NXT by FirestoneRace 1: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports)Race 2: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES):Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), 1 minute, 9.0004 seconds, 127.251 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner:Race 1: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports) 1:14.9358, 117.172 mphRace 2: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports) 1:15.0528, 116.990 mph
Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)
INDY NXT by FirestoneEd Jones, 1:14.6743, 117.583 mph, May 13, 2016
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 9:30 a.m. ET, Friday, FS2 (live);Practice 2, 1 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Warmup,11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FOX (live).
Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analystsTownsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are thepit reporters.
INDY NXT By Firestone: Practice 1, 11 a.m. ET, Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying,2:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Race 1, 7 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Race 2, 1 p.m. ETSaturday, FS1 (live).
Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter, while guest analysts Santino Ferrucci (Race 1) and Tim Cindric (Race 2) will join for the race telecasts.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst DaveyHamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Alex Wolff,Rob Blackman and Rich Nye are the pit reporters. The Sonsio Grand Prix race (4 p.m. ETSaturday), the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix doubleheader (6:55 p.m. ET Friday and 12:55p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and racesare available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCARApp powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, May 9
9:30-10:50 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS2 (Live)
11:05-11:55 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS2 (Live)
1:10-2 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (35 minutes of green flag – limited guarantee), FS2(Live)
2:30-3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, (two groups/12 minutes each), FS2 (Live)
4:35 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), FS1 (Live)
7:01 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 1 “Drivers, start your engines”
7:06 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 1 (35 laps/55 minutes), FS1(Live)
Saturday, May 10
11:32-11:57 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup (25 minutes), FS1 (Live)
1:01 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 2 “Drivers, start your engines”
1:06 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 2 (35 laps/55 minutes), FS1(Live)
4:30 p.m. FOX on air
4:45 p.m. Sonsio Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
4:52 p.m. Sonsio Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), FOX (Live)
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