The Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter is the driver who places first in qualifying for the annual Indianapolis 500 (also called the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race), an American open-wheel car race held on American Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), in Speedway, Indiana. The pole-sitter begins the race in pole position, at the inside of the front of the starting grid.
Since 1989, the pole-sitter has received a cash prize, currently $100,000, and they and their car owner receive a small trophy at a ceremony that takes place after qualifying. The award is currently sponsored by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone; past sponsors include Anheuser-Busch through its Budweiser brand, PPG Industries, MBNA America Bank, WorldPoints Visa Card, AAMCO Transmissions, Peak Performance Motor Oil, and Verizon.
The race has been held annually since 1911 except in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I and from 1942 to 1945 because of World War II. Out of the 108 completed Indianapolis 500s (as of the 2025 race), the driver that has started in first place has gone on to win the race 21 times.
The qualifying speed format has been changed four times since the first race in 1911. The starting grid for the first race was determined by the date the IMS received entries, and all cars had to reach on a quarter-mile part of the main straight. This was adjusted to drivers averaging on the whole track in 1912, while the starting grid was still set by the order IMS received postal entries. A blind draw was conducted in both 1913 and 1914 once drivers reached the minimum speed. The qualifying format was revised in 1915 so that the grid was determined by drivers' speeds over a single lap, with a minimum speed of . From 1920 to 1932, drivers set the starting order by completing four-lap () qualifying runs at a set minimum speed between . From 1933 to 1938, it was a ten-lap () qualifying speed format with cars carrying of fuel. The four-lap speed format was reinstated in 1939, and the minimum speed requirement was dropped after 1963.
Qualifying is held on the Saturday (Bump Day) and Sunday (Pole Day) of the weekend preceding the event, whereas qualifying was formerly held over two weekends. Several qualifying systems have been used. From 2005 to 2009, pole position through eleventh was determined on the first day of qualifying, with the rest of the grid order set over the next three days. Since 2010, drivers have competed in a knockout-style qualifying system and some qualifiers are awarded season points towards the IndyCar Series championship. The top 12 cars from the first day proceed to the second round the following day, and the top six drivers from that round advance to the third and final round, which determines the top six starting places, including pole position.
In early decades, the qualifying order was set by teams presenting their cars in a queue beginning at the garage area. Since 1965, a blind draw is held the night before to determine it. Since 1971, every car has been guaranteed at least one attempt to qualify in the pole-position round, even if weather or other circumstances interfered. After World War II, drivers received three warm-up laps, which dropped to two in 1982. Unlike other IndyCar events, each driver completes a four-lap qualifying run with no other cars on track across two days, and their average speed over each lap is used to determine their final starting position.
As of the 2023 race, 67 drivers have won the pole position. Rick Mears holds the record for the most: six. Scott Dixon has five, while Hélio Castroneves, A. J. Foyt, and Rex Mays are third with four poles. Eleven drivers have qualified in the pole position for two consecutive years, but no one has won in three years in a row. Mays and Cliff Bergere are the youngest and oldest Indianapolis 500 pole winners, qualifying on pole at the ages of 22 years, 81 days in 1935 and 49 years, and 175 days in 1946, respectively. Scott McLaughlin and Gil Andersen set the fastest and slowest four-lap average pole speeds of in 2024 and in 1912, respectively.
Procedure Speeds were recorded by the front wheels of cars travelling over a wire stretched across the circuit at the start/finish line an inch from the ground to activate the mechanism to record a lap time on a paper card before switching to using an electric eye in 1946. Since 1990, lap times and speeds have been recorded by electronic scoring devices or timing beacon wires embedded in certain places of the track (such as the start/finish line) and are activated by wireless transponders with a unique digital identification carried inside each car. They send digital timing information to a computer system via radio, which includes speed and lap time estimated to the thousandth of a second.
All drivers have been permitted two warm-up laps since 1982, down from three between 1946 and 1981. The decision to continue or abandon the effort had to be made before the second warm-up lap was completed. A qualifying attempt begins when a team representative waves a green flag. If they wave the yellow flag, the attempt will not count, and the driver must return to the pit lane. If the team did not display a green flag, a vehicle may leave the pit lane as many times as it wanted. Prior to 1974, drivers raised one of their hands in the air to signal to officials that they wanted to start their qualifying run before the change was made to be in line with the procedure conducted at other race circuits. Teams are allowed to modify certain parts or electronics on their cars in their pit box following the completion of their qualifying run.
Since 1965, a blind draw conducted by a selected representative from each team (a driver, family member or team representative) has been held the night before qualifying to decide the qualifying order in order to reduce congestion or misunderstandings. All participants have been guaranteed at least one try to qualify in the pole position round, regardless of weather or other circumstances since 1971. Every driver does their qualifying run with no other car on the circuit and their average speed over all of their laps is used to determine their final starting place. The grid is arranged by 11 rows of three participants each for a total of 33 starting drivers.
1911–2004 In 1911, the starting order was determined by the date the IMS received entries, and all cars had to reach on a quarter-mile part of the main straight. This was adjusted to drivers averaging on the whole track in 1912, while the starting grid was still set by the order IMS received postal entries. A blind draw was conducted in both 1913 and 1914 once drivers reached the minimum speed. The qualifying format was revised in 1915 so that the grid was determined by drivers' one-lap speeds, with a minimum speed of . From 1920 to 1932, participants set the starting order by completing four-lap () qualifying runs at a set minimum speed between . From 1933 to 1938, it was a ten-lap () qualifying speed format with cars carrying of fuel. The four-lap speed format was reinstated in 1939, and the minimum speed requirement was dropped after 1963.
The draw is conducted on a "first-come, first-served" basis, with the fastest 33 drivers starting the race regardless of when they qualified. Previously, the qualifying order was set by teams presenting their cars in a queue that began in the garage area. The quickest qualifier on the first day or the top qualifier following a single trip through the original timing line took pole position, whichever came last. All cars were given three attempts to qualify and its speed was made official after completing four-laps () and cannot re-qualify. The driver could requalify in another vehicle if it did not qualify or withdrew. After 33 cars qualified, the slowest qualifier, regardless of position in the provisional starting order, could be demoted by a faster car. All successful qualifiers were assured participation in the race based on their qualifying time and speed. The first day's quickest qualifier took the pole position, while the first day qualifiers were followed by those from the previous two or three days through their set qualifying speed, respectively.
In 1996 and 1997, the top 25 cars in the Indy Racing League (IRL) points standings were guaranteed a starting position in the race with the final eight spots open for all other entries.
2005–2009
In order to boost interest, increase action, and attract more spectators, IMS officials changed the qualifying format to a four-session format known as "11-11-11" in 2005. On the first three days, 11 cars qualified, and bumping occurred on each day once position 11 was taken and within the allocated positions. Positions 11 to pole position were taken on the first day, positions 12 to 22 on the second, and positions 23 to 33 on the third. If the third day completed the starting order, the fourth and final day (Bump Day) permitted a participant that lapped faster than one that qualified in the previous three days to demote the slowest entrant from the starting order. It would take 33rd place or better if the driver went faster than any other Bump Day qualifier. Bumping would be widespread throughout the starting order under this format, rather than being restricted to the slowest vehicles. If the 11 starting slots on one day were not filled, they would be considered for the next day. Rain could not end a session early if all 33 spots were filled. If the field was not complete, the IRL and IMS decided the time teams would have for the next available day.
All cars, backup or primary, were given three attempts each day or twelve over all four days to qualify for the race. Any driver who set the same qualifying time and speed as a participant on the first day would be placed based on where they qualified on that day. If the time and speed are the slowest overall, the participant who set the time and speed on the second day will be the first to fail to qualify. If a vehicle failed to qualify on any qualifying day, it was allowed to return to the qualifying line and attempt to re-qualify based on how many attempts it had left. Entrants could still withdraw a qualified car if necessary, although it could still attempt to qualify based on the number of tries it had left for that day. Unlike previous formats, no car had to be withdrawn from the race. If a car was withdrawn from the event, the rest of the field would gain one position. This system, according to IMS historian Donald Davidson and author Rick Shaffer, offered the best drivers more chances to claim the pole position.
2010–2013 In 2010, a new "made-for-TV" two-day shootout format based loosely on the IndyCar Series' road and street course qualifying procedure was implemented. The format gradually decreased the field to determine the pole position starter. The first six-hour qualifying day filled the top 24 spots. All cars had three tries to set a qualifying speed, and positions 10 through 24 were set after the session. The quickest nine entrants' lap times and speeds were erased, and they all advanced to the 90-minute Fast Nine Shootout session, which determined pole position through ninth. They started from the fastest to the slowest, and each driver had to finish at least one more run with the option of another if time allowed.