How long is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track? How many laps do drivers race?

This weekend sees the 108th running of the Indy 500, otherwise known as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. Scott Dixon came home first in Friday’s Carb Day final practice, registering an average speed of at 227.206 mph. Despite that, the New Zealander starts Sunday’s race way down the order in 21st, while the front row of the starting grid will be occupied by the six fastest qualifiers: Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden with Alexander Rossi, Lyle Larson and Santiago Ferrucci lining up behind them.

The Indy 500 is a mythical race discussed in movies and books and hailed as one of the sport’s hardest races to win. The speedway itself was constructed and inaugurated in 1909 and is the largest venue in the world, able to house 400,000 spectators at once.

There’s a certain tradition behind the Indy 500 that makes it one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Check it out here.

This year’s event takes place in an enclave suburb of Indianapolis over Memorial Day weekend, Sunday, 26 May.

How many laps is the Indy 500?

The race is composed of 200 laps covering 500 miles (805 km), and lasts just under three hours from start to finish. Bobby Rahal was the first to complete the circuit in under three hours, crossing the finishing line on 2:55:43 in 1986.

In 2021, Hélio Castroneves crossed the finishing line with a record time of 2:37:19, recording an average speed 190.690 mph and becoming the first non-American driver to win the race four times. Eddie Cheever holds the race record for the fastest lap, set at 00:38.119 in 1996.

For experts, the Indianapolis race is one of the toughest there is due to the number of laps and the concentration required not to make any mistakes while in repetitive mode. In addition to dry May weather and seasonal high temperatures that can affect drivers throughout the race.

Who won the last Indy 500?

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the last Indy 500 in 2023 but not without controversy. Three red flags were flown during the race for the first time in history - the race was halted for a third time for an accident involving five cars and decided by a 2.5-mile sprint with Newgarden edging Marcus Ericsson.

This year, Hélio Castroneves is eyeing a record-breaking fifth victory after ending up second at 226.939. With a 4-lap average of 231.871 mph in practice, the Brazilian has a lot of catching up to do - he starts alongside Dixon in Row 7, 20th in the starting grid. At 49, Castroneves is the oldest driver in the field, starting his only race of the season.

“I learnt as much from finishing second as winning,” Castroneves said last week. “t’s not too much about how fast your car is, it’s about how good it is in traffic; it’s about the front floor of the car and the set-up. These boys are doing a phenomenal job. They don’t look a bit like one-offs. It’s just like me: As you get older, you get better – just like fine wine. We’re going to have some work to do in the race, but the whole vibe is incredible.”