Posted by NewsDesk, May 2026.
The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag on Sunday 24 May 2026 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the race set for 12:30 PM ET. FOX Sports will run 60 hours of live race-week coverage, the deepest US broadcast slate in Indy 500 history.
Álex Palou returns as the defending champion and the cleanest IndyCar form pick of the last three seasons. He's joined by four-time winner Helio Castroneves and two-time winner Takuma Sato, both chasing more history. The new face on the grid: World Endurance Championship and former F1 driver Mick Schumacher in the No. 47 car. Ryan Hunter-Reay has joined Arrow McLaren for this race.
Outright betting volume tilts toward Palou but the closing line is wider than expected for a defending champion, suggesting bookmakers are baking in pole-day variance. Top-5 finish props on the McLaren and Penske entries have steady action. For the rookie watch: Schumacher's prop on a top-15 finish has been the most-bet F1-converted-driver line since Romain Grosjean's IndyCar move.
The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag on Sunday 24 May 2026 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the race set for 12:30 PM ET. FOX Sports will run 60 hours of live race-week coverage, the deepest US broadcast slate in Indy 500 history.
The headline story
Álex Palou returns as the defending champion and the cleanest IndyCar form pick of the last three seasons. He's joined by four-time winner Helio Castroneves and two-time winner Takuma Sato, both chasing more history. The new face on the grid: World Endurance Championship and former F1 driver Mick Schumacher in the No. 47 car. Ryan Hunter-Reay has joined Arrow McLaren for this race.
Race week schedule
- Practice opens: Tuesday 12 May
- Time Trials: 16-17 May (the 33-car field is set across this weekend)
- Carb Day: Friday 22 May (final practice)
- Race day: Sunday 24 May, 12:30 PM ET green flag
Markets and storylines
- Race winner: Palou opens chalk at around +500 to +600 across major books
- Castroneves carries sentimental money at +2000 to +2500
- Schumacher's debut price floats around +6000, with prop markets on top-15 and rookie of the year
- Pole position market reads tighter than the race winner board, with three drivers inside +400
- Caution flags: over 6.5 cautions has hit in 6 of the last 9 races, the prop currently sits at the threshold
Where the smart money sits
Outright betting volume tilts toward Palou but the closing line is wider than expected for a defending champion, suggesting bookmakers are baking in pole-day variance. Top-5 finish props on the McLaren and Penske entries have steady action. For the rookie watch: Schumacher's prop on a top-15 finish has been the most-bet F1-converted-driver line since Romain Grosjean's IndyCar move.
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