Editing Indianapolis 500 (section)

===Qualifying procedure===
{{Further|List of Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters}}
[[File:Dixon Pole 20080510.jpg|thumb|[[Scott Dixon]] makes his pole-winning qualification run for the [[2008 Indianapolis 500]]]]

Throughout the years, the race has used several different qualifying procedures. The current four-lap (ten-mile) qualifying distance was first introduced in 1920 and has been used every year since 1939.<ref name="Evolved">Mittman, Dick. [http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=3569 Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Has Evolved Over The Years] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306064131/http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=3569 |date=2008-03-06 }}, Indy500.com, September 22, 2004</ref>

Presently, qualifying occurs on over two days. On Day 1, positions 13–30 (or 13–33 if there are only 33 entries) have their position set with all other positions set on Day 2. Following Fast Friday practice, all cars are entered into a blind draw for the qualifying order.

*Saturday: All entries are guaranteed at least one attempt to qualify and can make additional attempts if time permits. At the end of the session, the fastest twelve drivers advance to a "shootout" session held on the next day to determine pole position and the first four rows of the grid. As mentioned above, drivers who qualify 10th–30th have their spots locked in and will not re-qualify. Drivers who qualify 31st and lower advance to a separate "shootout" session also held on the next day to determine the final three spots on the grid. For re-attempts, there are two lanes: Lane 2 is known as the "no risk lane" and drivers can keep their previous time if their second (or subsequent) run is slower. Lane 1 is known as the "priority lane", and no cars from lane 2 are allowed on track unless lane 1 is empty. However, to re-qualify in lane 1 you must withdraw any previous times, regardless if the attempt is slower than a previous one.
*Sunday: The drivers who qualified 31st and lower from Saturday have their original times erased. There is one 75 minute session. Each driver gets one guaranteed attempt and can make additional attempts if time permits. Drivers who qualify 31st–33rd have their positions locked in. Drivers who finish 34th and lower fail to qualify. The fastest twelve drivers from Saturday take part in a second round of qualifying, with the top six advancing to the Firestone Fast Six. The qualifying order is based on the times from Saturday's session from slowest to fastest. Once again, the times from Saturday are erased and each driver is given only one attempt, locking in positions 7–12. Following a cool down period, including all cars taking slow cool down laps on track behind the pace/safety car, the remaining six drivers get one final attempt. The fastest driver wins the highly coveted pole position and the remaining five drivers have their positions locked in based on their times.

For each attempt, cars are allowed two warm-up laps. At that time, a member of the team is stationed at the north end of the main stretch. He or she must wave a green flag, signaling an attempt, or else the car will be waved off. The attempt can be waved off during any of the four laps by the team, driver, or race officials. (The series will wave off the run if it is obvious the run will not be fast enough to qualify and it is getting late in the day.) If an attempt is waved off after the run starts, the attempt counts and the previous time is still forfeited unless race officials waved off the attempt because of weather. Weather can and often does affect qualifying and can result in last-minute format changes.