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IndyCar fans learned series may guarantee spots on Indy 500 grid. Their reaction was fierce.

nathan brown, indianapolis star
·11 min read

“A slap in the face to tradition.”

“Would be one of the worst decisions made in the history of motorsports.”

“It’s a competition, not a charity.”

It’s unlikely anyone has ever accused IndyCar fans of not being passionate – especially in the era of social media – but Monday erased all doubt. Emotions ranged from anger and vitriol to sadness, frustration and confusion, upon learning that Penske Entertainment officials are weighing the idea of guaranteeing an unknown number of spots on the starting grid for the Indianapolis 500. Those spots would be available to those who land a position in IndyCar’s yet-to-be-finalized revamped membership system.

Details about such a system, which would replace the current Leaders Circle that pays roughly $1 million each year to the previous season’s top 22 in entrant points, are far from finalized. IndyCar leadership will have to decide how many spots they’ll hand out, how many each team can have and whether teams can operate full-time cars outside it.

Big changes coming to 500 qualifying?: IndyCar weighing guaranteed entries as part of membership program

The idea, Penske Entertainment Corp. president and CEO Mark Miles has explained previously, is to not only promise teams annual cuts of the series’ revenue, but to give them an asset they can sell if they wish to downsize or leave the sport. NASCAR’s charter system, launched in 2016, operates off similar principles, albeit with a far more lucrative TV contract to tap into. Before the existence of charters, NASCAR gave the top 35 in ownership points better odds at making the Daytona 500, but spots weren’t guaranteed. The launch of charters locked in 36 of the 40 spots.

IndyCar’s version of a new membership system isn’t guaranteed to lock those included into each race, but it’s been floated as a valuable safeguard for team owners for whom missing the 500 could be a grave disaster. Major teams – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Andretti Global, McLaren Racing, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Dale Coyne Racing, AJ Foyt Racing – have all had at least one car bumped in the last 15 years. All of them are still active, but teams are always worried about being the one who can’t bounce back.

But almost unanimously, IndyCar and Indy 500 fans screamed Monday that the risk is what makes the Greatest Spectacle in Racing … well, just that. It’s one of the few places in sports where a true David vs. Goliath moment can exist – and far more frequently during qualifying weekend than over the course of 200 laps on Memorial Day weekend. Its century-plus history, they claim, is so centrally tethered to the idea that any car, team and driver operating within the series’ rules can take a stab at qualifying for the Indy 500, and when the dust settles, it’s the fastest 33 who make up the grid.

Under this potential – again, to reiterate, not finalized nor guaranteed – system, somewhere between 22 and 25 spots on the Indy 500 grid would be pre-determined to go to full-time entries, with anywhere between 8-11 still up for grabs, either to other full-time teams’ extra cars (if allowed), part-time teams or Indy 500-only teams.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Graham Rahal (15) takes off his helmet after getting bumped from the race by teammate Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Jack Harvey (30) on Sunday, May 21, 2023, during the second day of qualifying ahead of the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Graham Rahal (15) takes off his helmet after getting bumped from the race by teammate Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Jack Harvey (30) on Sunday, May 21, 2023, during the second day of qualifying ahead of the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

IndyCar working to enrich team owners: 'We can’t eliminate opportunity for continued growth.'

Eliminating bumping isn’t on the table, but as some fans wrote Monday, Bump Day just isn’t the same when not every car is at risk. The common theme – though often incorrectly characterized – was the similarities to the Indy Racing League’s 25-8 rule that sprung up in the early days of "The Split," which Tony George used to attempt to persuade more cars to run the full IRL schedule – dedicated CART teams included. In it, the top-25 in points in the IRL entering the 500 would be guaranteed starting spots, but CART owners saw the move as a way to lock out those who stood firm against George’s crusade to protect the sanctity of American drivers, oval tracks and the 500.

Talks about IndyCar’s future membership systems are ongoing and won’t be launched for the 2024 season, and they aren’t guaranteed for 2025. If such a day comes, though − should Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Michael Andretti and company aren’t faced with the same nerves on Indy 500 qualifying weekend as small, upstart teams − it’s hard to imagine there won’t be a smattering of boos from the grandstands at IMS over the roars of the engines mid-May.

Here are more of what IndyCar fans had to say on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday:

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500: Fans scoff at idea of guaranteed spots to full-time teams