The greatest Sunday in racing is upon us — but it will look a bit different in 2026.
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Lunch in Indianapolis and dinner in Charlotte are still reserved, but you’ll need to take a rain check for breakfast in Monaco.
Formula One’s most iconic event, the Monaco Grand Prix, has been moved off of Memorial Day Weekend this year in favor of the Canadian Grand Prix. That leaves two of the other motorsports majors to rule the day, with the Indianapolis 500 in the afternoon and Coca-Cola 600 in the evening.
The Indy 500, known as the greatest spectacle in racing, gives 33 IndyCar drivers the chance to make history at the Brickyard. Then, NASCAR’s only 600 mile race in Charlotte will be a true test of man and machine in what could be a four- or five-hour marathon.
Here’s a preview for the two races, including TV schedules, start times, picks and more:
Indy 500 schedule and start time
There’s already been plenty of action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the month of May, between practice sessions and qualifying. The starting lineup was set last weekend, and there’s just one more practice (and the legendary Wienie 500) before the race on Sunday. Here’s the remaining schedule for the 2026 Indy 500:
Friday, May 22
- Carb Day final practice: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
- Wienie 500: 2 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 24
- 110th running of the Indianapolis 500: 12:45 p.m. ET
NASCAR weekend schedule and start time for the Coke 600
The action continues in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Coca-Cola 600 — NASCAR’s longest race by mileage. There will be practice and qualifying before Sunday’s main event, barring potential weather in the area on Saturday. Here’s the schedule for this weekend:
Saturday, May 23
- Practice: 1:30 p.m. ET
- Qualifying: 2:40 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 24
- Coca-Cola 600: 6 p.m. ET
How to watch the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 this weekend
Two different broadcasters will handle races: FOX and Amazon Prime Video.
The Indy 500 will be on FOX this year, starting with pre-race coverage at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. You can watch Carb Day final practice Friday on FOX Sports 1 and the Wienie 500 on FOX.
NASCAR is switching to streaming-exclusive this week, with Amazon Prime Video airing practice, qualifying and the Coke 600. Pre-race coverage Sunday begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on Prime.
Why isn’t the F1 Monaco Grand Prix this weekend?
For decades, the Sunday before Memorial Day was known to race fans as “Motorsports Christmas.” That feeling will go away this year with the Monaco Grand Prix pushed back two weeks.
F1 announced its 2026 schedule last year, with the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal taking place on Memorial Day Weekend instead of Monaco. That creates a bit of a scheduling conflict, as the races might overlap now that F1 starts in the afternoon (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT).
The series didn’t give a specific reason for moving Monaco’s date, other than its ongoing goal to “streamline the global racing schedule and reduce the sport’s environmental impact.”
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Picks and predictions for the Indy 500
Álex Palou is the man to watch any time you turn on an IndyCar race.
The 29-year-old Spaniard is a four-time series champion (including the last three years). He’s the reigning Indy 500 winner, taking his first checkered flag in the prestigious race last May. Oh yeah, and he’s starting on the pole Sunday after a lightning-quick qualifying run.
Palou, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, will be tough to beat. If anyone can do it, keep your eyes on Team Penske’s David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Conor Daly.
Malukas, along with his Penske teammates Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden, have the advantage of their boss being Roger Penske — who owns this track and series. The 24-year-old Malukas is starting third in his fourth Indy 500 start after finishing second last year.
Rosenqvist, 34, tied his career-best Indy 500 finish at fourth last May. He’s starting fourth for this year after leading a practice session and the first two rounds of qualifying.
The Indiana native Daly will be the sentimental favorite, as he always is. In 12 career Indy 500s, he’s finished top-10 five times — including his last four starts. Daly is starting eighth, his best-ever qualifying run at Indy.
McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi were, and still are, among the other favorites to win. They collided in practice on Monday, though, and both will have to race in backup cars. Rossi had procedures to repair minor injuries to his left hand and right ankle, but he said he doesn’t expect to miss the race.
Podium predictions: Felix Rosenqvist, Álex Palou, Conor Daly
Picks and predictions for NASCAR’s Coke 600
On the NASCAR side, the Coke 600 has been unpredictable over the past decade. Since 2017, there have been nine different winners in nine races at Charlotte.
So, will that trend continue in 2026? It might be difficult considering the talent that has already won in recent years, including Christopher Bell (2024), Ryan Blaney (2023), Denny Hamlin (2022) and Kyle Larson (2021).
Those four drivers are among the favorites entering this weekend, especially looking at Hamlin and Larson. For Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin is fresh off winning the All-Star Race last weekend and has been dominant at 1.5-mile tracks this year. Larson hasn’t won a race in over a year, but he’s too talented to be down for much longer.
Aside from the recent winners, several two of the best drivers this season could crash the party — Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott.
Reddick started 2026 on fire for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team, winning the first three races and adding two more victories along the way. Elliott, who is Larson’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, is the only other multi-race winner this season and won the most recent 1.5-mile race in Texas (a track similar to Charlotte).
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Podium predictions: Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick