Indy 500: Bump Day returns to Sunday, as qualifying gets a radically different look

Jim Ayello | IndyStar

Show Caption Hide Caption Insider previews changes to Indy 500 qualifying Insider Jim Ayello previews the changes to Indy 500 qualifying.

INDIANAPOLIS — Last year Bump Day made its dramatic return to the Indianapolis 500. This year, Bump Day is getting a whole new look.

IndyCar announced radical changes Thursday to the qualifying schedule for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 and tops among them is that Bump Day has been moved from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon.

Under IndyCar's new guidelines, only positions 10-30 will be up for grabs on Saturday, May 18, the first day of 500 qualifying. The Fast Nine Shootout will remain on Sunday, May 19, but the cars on the outside of the top 30 will now have to wait until Sunday to decide their fates.

In essence, Bump Day and Pole Day have been combined into one jam-packed Sunday afternoon. The day's activities will now include the Fast Nine Shootout as well as what IndyCar and IMS have dubbed the "Last Row Shootout" for those cars competing for the final three spots in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Before moving on to the motivation behind the alterations, it's important to note another major change: Positions 10-30 are locked in on Saturday. Those cars will no longer have an opportunity to improve their positions on Sunday. Where they qualify Saturday is where they will start the race the following weekend.

The primary impetus behind these major changes is to put as much action and drama on network television as possible.

If bumping had remained on Saturday evening, it would have been broadcast on NBCSN, not NBC. Additionally, with qualifying wrapping up at 5:50 p.m., that would have only allowed NBCSN about 10 minutes to capture and break down the heartbreak of the three, four or however many drivers and teams that failed to qualify for the race.

On Sunday, however, there will be ample opportunity to showcase that drama -- and do so in front of the largest audience possible. On Sunday, NBC has a three-hour window reserved for 500 qualifying. NBC, along with IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, decided it was best to showcase its most dramatic events -- the Last Row and Fast Nine Shootouts -- on network TV.

Finally, there has been one more major amendment to the schedule: a full-field practice on Sunday evening following qualifying.

The change, Doug Boles told IndyStar, is intended to add significant value and excitement to a weekend already chock-full of it.

"One thing we learned is that when we added that Monday practice a few years ago, it’s frankly the best practice session of the entire month because everyone’s in race mode, and there’s tons and tons of laps turned," the Indianapolis Motor Speedway President said. "The bummer is that it’s been on Monday, and it’s tough for fans to get out and see it.”



Not anymore. While there still will be a practice session Monday, fans who show up Sunday will be offered a glimpse of what IndyCar President Jay Frye characterized as “effectively, the race before the race."

“With this schedule, fans will get a phenomenal weekend of action, with two days of qualifying, bumping, the run for the pole and this incredible practice that effectively is the race before the race – all in a two-day span,” Frye said in a news release.

Along with qualifying changes, IMS also announced its full month of May schedule. Here's a look at the May calendar, which includes 12 days of on-track activity open to the public, as well as the TV schedule for the month (All information provided by IMS).

Indy 500 schedule

IndyCar Grand Prix

(All times local, subject to change; all on-track activity on IMS road course)

THURSDAY, May 9

No public access

8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, USF2000 testing

3:45-4:15 p.m.: USF2000 practice

4:30-5 p.m.: Indy Pro 2000 practice

5:15-6 p.m.: Indy Lights practice

FRIDAY, May 10

7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

8-8:20 a.m.: USF2000 qualifying

8:35-8:55 a.m.: Indy Pro 2000 qualifying

9:10-9:55 a.m.: NTT IndyCar Series practice

10:10-10:40 a.m.: Indy Lights qualifying

10:55-11:15 a.m.: USF2000 qualifying

11:30-11:50 a.m.: Indy Pro 2000 qualifying

12:30-1:15 p.m.: NTT IndyCar Series practice

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Indy Lights race No. 1

2:45-3:20 p.m.: USF2000 race No. 1

3:35-4:15 p.m.: Indy Pro 2000 race No. 1

4:30-5:45 p.m.: NTT IndyCar Series qualifying/Firestone Fast Six

SATURDAY, May 11

7:30 a.m.-one hour post-race: Public gates open

8:30-9 a.m.: Indy Lights qualifying

9:15-9:55 a.m.: USF2000 race No. 2

10:10-11 a.m.: Indy Pro 2000 race No. 2

11:15-11:45 a.m.: NTT IndyCar Series warm-up

1:15-2:25 p.m.: Indy Lights race No. 2

3:30 p.m.: IndyCar Grand Prix

103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge

(All times local, subject to change; all on-track activity on IMS oval)

TUESDAY, May 14 – Opening Day

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Veteran practice

1-3 p.m.: Rookie Orientation Program, veteran refresher tests

3-6 p.m.: Open practice

WEDNESDAY, May 15-THURSDAY, May 16

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Open practice

FRIDAY, May 17 – Fast Friday

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Open practice

6:15 p.m.: Qualifications draw

SATURDAY, May 18 – Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying: Bump Day

8-9:30 a.m.: Practice

11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.: Qualifying (order based on draw, top 30 locked in field at end of day)

SUNDAY, May 19 – Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying: Pole Day

10:15-10:45 a.m.: Fast Nine Shootout practice

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Last Row Shootout practice

12:15-1:15 p.m.: Last Row Shootout qualifying (order based on original draw, one attempt per car)

1:15-2:15 p.m.: Fast Nine Shootout qualifying (order based on Saturday times, slowest to fastest, one attempt per car)

3:15-6 p.m.: Open practice, all 33 qualified cars

MONDAY, May 20

Noon-6 p.m.: Public gates open

10-11:30 a.m.: Indy Lights test

Noon-2 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 open practice

2:30-4 p.m.: Indy Lights test

TUESDAY, May 21-WEDNESDAY, May 22

No track activity

THURSDAY, May 23

No public access

10-10:45 a.m.: Indy Lights practice

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Indy Lights qualifying

FRIDAY, May 24 – Miller Lite Carb Day

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 final practice

1 p.m.: 17th Freedom 100 (Indy Lights)

2-3:30 p.m.: Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge

3:30 p.m.: Miller Lite Carb Day Concert begins, Turn 4 infield

SATURDAY, May 25 – Legends Day presented by Firestone

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

9-10 a.m.: Driver autograph session, Pagoda Plaza

10:25 a.m.: Public drivers’ meeting, Tower Terrace

3:30 p.m.: Firestone Legends Day Concert begins, Turn 4 infield

SUNDAY, May 26 – Race Day

6 a.m.-one hour post-race: Public gates open

7 a.m.: Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light begins, Turn 3 infield

12:30 p.m.: 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge

May TV schedule

(All times Eastern, all shows live unless indicated)

Date: Time; Event; Outlet

May 10 : 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Indy Lights Road Race No. 1; NBC Sports Gold

: 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Indy Lights Road Race No. 1; NBC Sports Gold May 10: 4:30-6 p.m.; IndyCar Grand Prix qualifying; NBCSN

4:30-6 p.m.; IndyCar Grand Prix qualifying; NBCSN May 11: 1:15-2:25 p.m.; Indy Lights Road Race No. 2; NBC Sports Gold

1:15-2:25 p.m.; Indy Lights Road Race No. 2; NBC Sports Gold May 11: 3-6 p.m.; IndyCar Grand Prix; NBC

3-6 p.m.; IndyCar Grand Prix; NBC May 14-17: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Indianapolis 500 practice; NBC Sports Gold

11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Indianapolis 500 practice; NBC Sports Gold May 18; 8-9:30 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice; NBC Sports Gold

8-9:30 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice; NBC Sports Gold May 18; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying; NBC Sports Gold

11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying; NBC Sports Gold May 18; 5-6 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying; NBCSN/Gold

5-6 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying; NBCSN/Gold May 19; 12-3 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying/practice; NBC;

12-3 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying/practice; NBC; May 19; 3-6 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice; NBCSN

3-6 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice; NBCSN May 20; 12-2 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice; NBCSN

12-2 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice; NBCSN May 20-23; 6-6:30 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 studio show; NBCSN/Gold

6-6:30 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 studio show; NBCSN/Gold May 24; 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: Carb Day (500 practice, Freedom 100, Pit Stop Challenge); NBCSN/Gold

11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: Carb Day (500 practice, Freedom 100, Pit Stop Challenge); NBCSN/Gold May 25; 4-6 p.m.: IPL 500 Festival Parade; NBCSN/Gold*

4-6 p.m.: IPL 500 Festival Parade; NBCSN/Gold* May 26; 9-11 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 Pre-Race Show; NBCSN

9-11 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 Pre-Race Show; NBCSN May 26; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Indianapolis 500; NBC

11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Indianapolis 500; NBC May 26; 4-5 p.m. : Indianapolis 500 Post-Race Show; NBCSN

4-5 p.m. Indianapolis 500 Post-Race Show; NBCSN May 27; 7:30-11 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration; NBC Sports Gold

* -- Event will be televised delayed from 4-6 p.m. on NBCSN, live on IndyCar Pass on NBC Sports Gold