The Indianapolis 500 is this weekend, bringing 33 Indycar drivers to the 2.5-mile banked oval to chase the Borg-Warner Trophy.
The 110th annual Memorial Day weekend race is set to take place Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves is back, trying to become the first driver to win the race five times. The Brazilian driver, who celebrated his 51st birthday on May 10, won the Indy 500 back-to-back in 2001 and 2002, again in 2009 and then in 2021 to tie A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for most wins all time.
Alex Palou was a first-time winner in 2025.
Here’s a look at what’s ahead this week, and who will be singing “Back Home in Indiana” and the national anthem.
When is the Indianapolis 500?
The 2026 Indy 500 is set to start at 12:45 p.m. May 24.
Roger Penske will give the command to to start engines at 12:38 p.m.
Indy 500 2026: Former winners in the race
Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jamie Little are the pit reporters. are entered in this year’s race:
What channel is the Indy 500 on?
Coverage of the 110th running of the race — scheduled for May 24 — will begin at 10 a.m. on FOX.
Streaming is available via FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app.
How can I listen to Indy 500?
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race). Mark Jaynes is the anchor, with driver analyst Davey Hamilton.
Who’s singing ‘Back Home in Indiana’?
Jim Cornelison, billed at “the national anthem singer” will perform the traditional prerace song at the south stage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
Cornelison’s Instagram page says he’s been the Chicago Blackhawks anthem singer since 2008 and the Bears opener since ’10.
Jim Nabors, who appears on such TV series as “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Gomer Pyle, USMC” sang the Indy 500 song for 36 years through 2014 before his death in 2017.
From 2017 to the present, Cornelison has been singing the song.
What are the lyrics to ‘Back Home in Indiana’?
[verse 1]
[chorus]
[verse 2]
Who will sing the national anthem at the Indy 500?
Jordin Sparks will perform the national anthem at the Indianapolis 500. Her appearance will be a three-peat for the singer-songwriter and actress, who also sang at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2015 and 2024.
The Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum Sparks, who grabbed worldwide attention early in her career on season six of “American Idol,” has gone on to release singles that have sold more than 10 million digital tracks in the U.S. Her singles include “Call My Name,” “Candy Cane Lane,” and “Love Me Like I Am” with For King and Country.
— The Indianapolis Star contributed.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: What time is the Indy 500 Sunday? How to watch the 110th running
Reporting by Dan Basso, USA TODAY NETWORK / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
