Indy 500: When, What Time and What Channel

The 2019 Indy 500 race is just hours away, and for those looking forward to the 'greatest [...]

By Stephen Andrew

The 2019 Indy 500 race is just hours away, and for those looking forward to the "greatest spectacle in racing," we have all the details on when it kicks off, what time, and what channel to tune into this weekend.

This year, the race will be held on Sunday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.

Though festivities start as early as 7:30 a.m. ET, the race will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET and broadcast live nationwide by NBC. After airing the Indy 500 from 1965 through last season, NBC will be the sole network broadcasting the event after ABC was outbid. Having the exclusive rights over the IndyCar Series, gives NBC a lot of leverage with the beloved racing event.

For cord-cutters who prefer to stream TV, there are a plethora of options available. In addition to NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and the IMS website offering options, multiple live-stream sources are available, including Hulu Live, YouTube TV, and Sling TV, which all offer live, Indy 500 broadcasts on their services.

The Indy 500 is the culmination of an entire month filled with IndyCar coverage from Indianapolis. While the racing event has not seen a repeat winner since 2002 when former Dancing With the Stars alum, Helio Castroneves won, it might spark concern for Penske racing's Will Power, the winner of last season's Indy 500. This year, of the 36 drivers entered to race, seven just so happen to be previous Indy 500 winners: Castroneves, Power, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato.

Among those racing in the big event this year are last year's Power, Simon Pagenaud, Ed Carpenter, Spencer Pigot, Ed Jones and Colton Hereta. Racers Sebastien Bourdais, Josef Newgarden and Marco Andretti will also be competing.

Marco Andretti is the grandson of legendary racer Mario Andretti, and the son of beloved racer Michael Andretti. In 2018, Marco sat down for an interview with About Town, and spoke about his life in the iconic racing family. Speaking candidly, he revealed that "the pressure of being an Andretti" occasionally got to him when he was younger, but not so much anymore.

"It did when I was a kid…around age 9 when I was racing go-karts. As an adult, I have really high expectations for myself, so the pressure comes from me as opposed to my family," he confessed.

Marco also revealed that he does not have any "pre-race" rituals, explaining, "I try not to have any superstitions. I wake up and head to the track."

The racer also shared that he "purchased" his "childhood home" from his father, adding, "So it's great for the family to be able to gather at the house we grew up in. I kept my brother's and sister's rooms as-is, so they can come home and sleep in their bed whenever they want. My wife and I also got married on the property."

This year's race marks the 50th anniversary of Marco's grandfather Mario's Indy 500 win in 1969, so fans will want to tune into the race to see if Marco comes in first and brings things full circle for his family.

The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 airs Sunday, May 26 on NBC.

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