May 22, 2026 - Sports
How to fake it: A newbie's guide to the 2026 Indianapolis 500
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
When drivers start their engines for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, racing terms will be thrown around fast and furious.
Here's your guide to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The race is 500 miles — 200 laps around the 2.5-mile track.
- It takes about three hours.
It's governed by flags. The main ones you need to know are:
- Green flag: Go racing.
- Yellow flag: Caution. Everybody has to slow down, and there's no passing until the green flag is waved again.
- White flag: Last lap of the race.
- Checkered flag: Race is over. Head to the winner's circle!
Motorsports has its own lingo. Some of the more common terms:
- Chassis: The body of the car, also called the "tub" in IndyCar, because that's kind of what the drivers are sitting in. Unlike stock car racing (think NASCAR), these cars bear little resemblance to your own vehicle.
- Loose/oversteer: Not enough grip in the rear tires, so the back of the car is unstable.
- Tight/understeer: Not enough grip in the front tires, so the front wheels want to continue straight through a turn.
- Tow/drafting: A trailing car can get a speed boost from being pulled or "towed" by the draft of the car in front.
Zoom in: Here are the storylines driving the day.
🤕 Rossi's recovery
- Alexander Rossi was having a great Month of May, until Monday. The 2016 winner lost it in Turn 2 and took a hard hit into the wall.
- He had outpatient surgery to repair minor injuries to a finger on his left hand and to his right ankle — which is fine, because it's not like your right foot is an important part of [checks notes ...] driving a car.
- Yes, but: Rossi says he's still racing on Sunday. And he'll be doing it in his backup car — a bummer after his original ride proved fast enough to qualify second.
- Friday's practice will be a good test for both car and driver.
🏆 The drive for five
- Four drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 four times: Al Unser, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves.
- No one has done it five times — yet. Castroneves, who won it in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021, could be the first when he takes the starting line Sunday.
- He's one of nine drivers with a previous Indy 500 win under their firesuit in this year's field of contenders.
👯♂️ Katherine Legge is attempting the double.
- Legge is the first woman and just the sixth person to sign on for the 1,100-mile feat.
- Why do it? "Why not?" Legge said.
What we're watching: If there's a rain delay on race day, it'll be nearly impossible for her to get to Charlotte in time.