IMS Road Course Races

The field races into road course turn one during the second race of the 2020 Harvest GP
(Johnson Collection)

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Road Course Races
IndyCar Series

Since 2014, NTT IndyCar Series races have been held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway combined road course. Held traditionally on the Saturday two weeks before the Indianapolis 500, and the week prior to Indy 500 practice and qualifying, the IndyCar Grand Prix effectively kicks off track activity for the month of May.

The combined road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally completed in 2000 for the Formula One United States Grand Prix. The U.S. Grand Prix was held at Indy from 2000 to 2007 on the original 2.606-mile clockwise circuit. In 2008, improvements were made to the course, and an updated 2.591-mile counter-clockwise layout was created for motorcycles. Moto GP raced on the modified layout from 2008 to 2015. The Grand Am/IMSA sports car series also held races on the now slightly-modified clockwise F1 course from 2012-2014.

The IMS road course layout utilized since 2014 for the IndyCar Grand Prix

In 2013, the IndyCar Series conducted a feasibility test on the road course, with the possibility of hosting a race in the future. After positive test results, and positive feedback from competitors and fans, an annual race was added to the month of May. Parts of the track were reworked, and a new 2.439-mile road course layout was created. The road course portion was repaved and various improvements yielded a more competitive layout and a circuit better suited for IndyCars (as well as stock cars). The first “Grand Prix of Indianapolis” was held in May 2014.

The name of the race was changed to the IndyCar Grand Prix in 2017, in order to emphasize that the event was part of the American-based IndyCar Series, and not a continuation or revival of the old Formula One event. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IndyCar Grand Prix was moved from May to July 4th, and became part of the NASCAR Brickyard 400 weekend. It was run as part of a Saturday road course doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150. Due to cancellations of other IndyCar Series events in 2020, a second road course event was added to the schedule. The IndyCar Harvest GP consisted of two races, added as part of the Intercontinental GP 8-hour endurance race weekend in October.

For 2021, the IndyCar Grand Prix was moved back to it customary date in May. A second road course race will be held in August, again as part of the NASCAR weekend.

The inaugural IndyCar road course race in 2014 utilized a standing start. During the 2014 IndyCar season, the series experimented with standing starts at selected road course events. Polesitter Sebastián Saavedra’s car stalled triggering a huge pileup at the start. All races since had utilized a rolling start. Angie’s List was the title sponsor of race in 2015-2016. Beginning in 2020, Global Medical Response (GMR) has served as title sponsor. The 2021 August race will be sponsored by Big Machine Vodka.

As of 2021, the closest finish for an IndyCar race on the road course came in the 2014 event. Simon Pagenaud held off Ryan Hunter-Reay by 0.8906 seconds. Race winners for IndyCar Series races on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course are as follows:

Date	Race Name	Winner	Distance		Average Speed
Date	Race Name	Winner	Laps	Miles	(mph)
Saturday 5/10/2014	Grand Prix of Indianapolis	Simon Pagenaud	82	199.998	96.436
Saturday 5/9/2015	Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis	Will Power	82	199.998	116.842
Saturday 5/14/2016	Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis	Simon Pagenaud	82	199.998	108.784
Saturday 5/13/2017	IndyCar Grand Prix	Will Power	85	207.315	120.813
Saturday 5/12/2018	IndyCar Grand Prix	Will Power	85	207.315	113.318
Saturday 5/11/2019	IndyCar Grand Prix	Simon Pagenaud	85	207.315	103.254
Saturday 7/4/2020	GMR Grand Prix	Scott Dixon	80	195.120	114.789
Friday 10/2/2020	IndyCar Harvest GP – Race 1	Josef Newgarden	85	207.315	119.060
Saturday 10/3/2020	IndyCar Harvest GP – Race 2	Will Power	75	182.925	119.115
Saturday 5/15/2021	GMR Grand Prix	Rinus VeeKay	85	207.315	116.096
Saturday 8/14/2021	Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix