Hybrid strategy could become one of the biggest differentiators during this weekend’s PPG Armed Forces Qualifying Weekend for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Last year marked the first Indianapolis 500 to feature hybrid technology following the system’s midseason debut in July 2024 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

With nearly a year of additional data and simulation work, teams are approaching qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with far more aggressive ideas on how to maximize the added horsepower.

The hybrid system gives drivers an additional 60 horsepower at the push of a steering wheel button. The challenge comes in managing the energy boost around the 2.5-mile oval, where drivers spend nearly the entire lap at full throttle.

Last year, most teams adopted conservative and similar deployment plans over a four-lap qualifying run. Drivers said INDYCAR increased the system’s minimum deploy settings for 2026, effectively eliminating last year’s “trickle deploy” method and opening the door for more creative strategies.

“I think there’s a lot of complicated ways that you’re going to try to do to find point-02 of a mile an hour,” Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver Conor Daly said.

Drivers spent practice this week experimenting with different approaches. Some teams explored regenerating energy on the straightaways before deploying it through the corners to help maintain average lap speed. Others did the exact opposite.

“I think it's pretty split on what people are doing,” Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood said. “You see (Alexander) Rossi regenerating in the straights, then deploying through the corners to keep his average speed up through the entire lap. There's that philosophy, which we've seen (Team) Penske try.

“You want to be in the power band of your motor.”

The strategies also vary between Chevrolet and Honda teams.

Alexander Rossi (photo, top), driver of the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet for ECR, believes hybrid execution could dramatically impact the qualifying order.

“They took away the way that everyone was kind of doing it last year,” Rossi said. “So, it’s going to force people to be creative.

“You can have the car balance perfect and the trim level perfect, and if your hybrid strategy is not, that can be the difference between third and 15th.”

Speaking of Fast 15

INDYCAR adjusted the format for PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Weekend, adding more intrigue throughout the field for Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

Saturday’s qualifying session from 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m. ET sets positions 16-33 for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 24. The fastest nine drivers from Day 1 also lock into Sunday’s Top 12 session, where they’ll battle for a chance to advance into the Firestone Fast Six and compete for the NTT P1 Award and pole position.

The biggest conversation entering the week centered around drivers who finish 10th through 15th on Saturday. Under the new format, those six drivers return Sunday for the “Last Chance Qualifying” style Final 15 session, competing for the final three spots in the Top 12.

That added importance creates far more urgency throughout the middle of the field. In previous years, a driver running outside the top 20 but comfortably clear of the Last Row Shootout often had little reason to risk another qualifying attempt. Now, a jump into the top 15 could completely change the weekend.

“I think that’s kind of the part where you will do other runs to improve Fast 15,” Juncos Hollinger Racing driver Rinus VeeKay said. “Last year, if you were 18th, that was kind of right about your max. I think more people are in contention. I think more people will be running.”

The hybrid system also adds another variable. Drivers and engineers continue learning the best ways to deploy the extra power, and even a small adjustment could mean several rows of improvement on the provisional grid entering Sunday.

“I was thinking the guy who qualifies P10 is going to feel really bad because he’s consolidated himself enough to be there, but he has to go and do it again,” Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian driver Marcus Armstrong said. “I think it’s cool. We also have the tires to do it, so why not? It’s a better show for the fans, too.

“Qualifying at Indy, there’s nothing quite like it in the world. It’s a completely different discipline.”

Armstrong said multiple attempts also increase pressure on teams as conditions continue changing throughout the day.

“It’s your job to go drive fast and keep your foot flat,” he said. “It gets equally as impossible for the engineers because the conditions change. The wind changes, the temperature changes. That’s going to be stressful for the engineers.”

Jacob Abel

Abel Announces Indy 500 Sponsor

Jacob Abel, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, unveiled Louisville-based Texas Roadhouse, Inc. restaurant chain as sponsor on his No. 51 Chevrolet for Abel Motorsports in this year’s Indy 500.

Abel (photo, above) is one of four rookie drivers in this year’s field, joining Mick Schumacher, Caio Collet and Dennis Hauger. Abel was an NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie last season, driving for Dale Coyne Racing, but was the lone participant bumped from the field of 33.

He returned this year as an Indy-only participant with his family-owned team.

Rahal Last of Racing’s Family Dynasties

Graham Rahal carries a unique weight entering his 19th Indianapolis 500 appearance.

Motorsports has long been defined by legendary family names. NASCAR had the Earnhardt’s. NHRA had the Force’s. INDYCAR has the Andretti’s, Unser’s and Rahal’s.

Rahal is the last active full-time driver from those dynasties.

“That weighs a little heavy on me, with my end sort of being near, too,” Rahal said. “It’s an interesting time to build up these future names.”

The perspective is personal for Rahal, who is married to Courtney Force, daughter of drag racing icon John Force. With Courtney retired and both Brittany Force and John Force stepping away from competition last offseason, one of NHRA’s most recognizable families also has paused its racing presence.

“With Brit and everything going on there, too, it’s definitely an interesting dynamic,” Rahal said. “It’s weird for them to think about all the daughters. Nobody’s racing. This is unfamiliar territory for all of us.

“I guess I’m the only one left. Every time I tell Courtney I’m thinking about retiring, the one person against it is my wife. She’s like, ‘Man, what do we have left?’ It’s so different now.”

The son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal has six INDYCAR victories in 315 starts and enters the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge ninth in points this season.

While Rahal has acknowledged retirement is drawing closer, he believes the family legacy will continue beyond his driving career.

“We’re always going to be involved,” Rahal said. “I don’t see the Rahal’s not being involved or the Force’s not being involved in some capacity.”

Dennis Hauger

Hauger Embracing Indy 500 Learning Curve

Hauger embraces the unique challenge of his first Indianapolis 500 practice week.

The reigning INDY NXT by Firestone champion (photo, above) said the amount of preparation available during the Month of May has been eye-opening compared to his experience climbing Europe’s junior ladder.

The Norwegian rookie won championships in Italian F4 (2019) and FIA Formula 3 (2021), then spent three seasons in Formula 2, earning five wins and 13 podiums while also serving as a Red Bull reserve driver.

This season, Hauger drives the No. 19 Only Bulls Honda for Dale Coyne Racing. He has quickly adapted to Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s demanding schedule.

“It's probably the most I've been able to prepare for a race in my entire life,” Hauger said.

At Indianapolis, teams spend six hours each day refining setups, studying traffic and building confidence around the 2.5-mile oval.

“These days are such a massive amount of testing things, trying to tune everything in,” Hauger said. “At the same time, you try and keep it safe because if you crash around here, it’s hard to come back from it with the car and all the tuning work you’ve built up.”

The extended preparation has required a different mindset for the 23-year-old.

“You want to go out there and improve every session,” Hauger said.

Odds and Ends

  • There have been zero on-track incidents this week, with all 33 cars avoiding wall contact entering Saturday’s qualifying weekend.
  • A total of 6,843 laps were completed during the week. Rossi and Kyffin Simpson led the way with 266 laps each, followed by Schumacher with 263.
  • Fast Friday featured an additional 100 horsepower compared to the first three days of practice. “It’s a big jump. You notice the power, especially when you’re that trimmed. It accelerates so fast and different with such low drag on the car,” two-time “500” winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske said.
  • Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton was on site Friday and spent time with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
  • Players from the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team were also on site Friday at IMS.