Racing’s biggest day of 2023 is officially upon us. Formula 1 will host the Monaco Grand Prix, NASCAR will contest the Coca-Cola 600 and, of course, the IndyCar Series will stand the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Indy 500 is arguably the most prestigious race in America. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has been run 106 times during its history and the 2023 field is expected to be perhaps the best one yet.
There are nine former Indy 500 champions in the field, including four-time winner Helio Castroneves, reigning champion Marcus Ericsson, two-time winners Juan Pablo Montoya and Takuma Sato, Will Power and many more. This lineup also happens to be the fastest in the history of the race. The average speed of the cars to qualify for the race was 232.184 mph, more than a mile-per-hour better than the previous record set in 2022.
MORE: Watch today’s Indy 500 live on Fubo (free trial)
So, racing fans are going to see some fast-paced racing on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Below is all the information you need to watch the 2023 Indy 500, including the TV schedule, broadcast information and more about the race.
What time does the Indy 500 start in 2023?
- Race: 107th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Date: Sunday, May 28
- Start time: 11 a.m. ET (12:45 p.m. ET green flag)
- TV channel: NBC | Universo
- Live stream: Peacock | Fubo
Coverage of the 2023 Indy 500 on broadcast television will begin at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. That said, there will be a two-hour pre-show airing on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET, so there will be about three and a half hours of total pre-race coverage on the NBC family of networks.
The actual Indy 500 is expected to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET. Racing fans will want to arrive a bit earlier to ensure they don’t miss any of IndyCar’s most important American race.
All coverage running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET will be available to watch on NBC and Universo while streamers can watch it on Peacock. Additionally, streamers can catch the Indy 500 on Fubo, which comes with a free trial.
MORE: Who will win the Indy 500? Expert picks, best bets for biggest race of 2023
Indianapolis 500 schedule
There is always a great deal of fanfare surrounding the Indy 500. The 2023 iteration of the race will be no different, as it will be a multi-week event. Pre-race qualifying takes place the weekend before the Indy 500, so at this point, racing fans will begin to shift their focus in full to the actual race.
Those attending the 2023 Indy 500 live will be able to enter the racetrack at 6 a.m. ET. From there, the cars will be moved to the front stretch of the course and fans will get to witness driver introductions and other pre-race festivities. That will include watching the National Anthem and the performance of “Back Home Again in Indiana,” among other yearly rituals.
Here is the complete schedule of Sunday’s coverage, per the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s official website:
Time (ET) | Event | TV channel |
6 a.m. | Gates open | — |
12:45 p.m. | Green flag for the 107th Indy 500 | NBC |
Indy 500 lineup 2023
Alex Palou is set to be the pole-sitter for the Indy 500, marking the first time the 26-year-old has qualified first at the race. He narrowly beat out Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist to win the pole, and the other two drivers will be in the front row with him.
Meanwhile, Santino Ferruci, Pato O’Ward and Scott Dixon will make up the second row. Dixon had won the previous three poles at the Indy 500, but he was passed by a handful of the younger drivers for the 2023 version of the race.
Additionally, Stefan Wilson, who originally qualified 25th for the race, will be unable to participate after fracturing a vertebra during a practice crash with Katherine Legge, who qualified 30th originally.
Below is the full lineup for the 2023 Indy 500:
Pos. | Car No. | Driver |
1 | 10 | Alex Palou |
2 | 21 | Rinus VeeKay |
3 | 6 | Felix Rosenqvist |
4 | 14 | Santino Ferrucci |
5 | 5 | Pato O’Ward |
6 | 9 | Scott Dixon |
7 | 7 | Alexander Rossi |
8 | 11 | Takuma Sato |
9 | 66 | Tony Kanaan |
10 | 8 | Marcus Ericsson |
11 | 55 | Benjamin Pedersen |
12 | 12 | Will Power |
13 | 33 | Ed Carpenter |
14 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin |
15 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood |
16 | 20 | Conor Daly |
17 | 2 | Josef Newgarden |
18 | 23 | Ryan Hunter-Reay |
19 | 28 | Romain Grosjean |
20 | 06 | Helio Castroneves |
21 | 26 | Colton Herta |
22 | 60 | Simon Pagenaud |
23 | 18 | David Malukas |
24 | 98 | Marco Andretti |
25 | 29 | Devlin DeFrancesco |
26 | 78 | Agustin Canapino |
27 | 77 | Callum Ilott |
28 | 50 | R.C. Enerson |
29 | 44 | Katherine Legge |
30 | 45 | Christian Lundgaard |
31 | 51 | Sting Ray Robb (R) |
32 | 30 | Jack Harvey |
33 | 24 | Graham Rahal |