How to watch 103rd running of the Indy 500 - MotorSportsTalk

There’s a new television home for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’.

For the first time in history, the Indianapolis 500 will be broadcast on NBC, with eight hours of coverage scheduled to air today between NBC and NBCSN.

Today’s coverage kicks off at 9:00 a.m. ET with Indy 500 pre-race coverage on NBCSN before moving over to NBC at 11:00 a.m. ET.

The green flag for the 200-lap event is scheduled to drop at 12:45 p.m. ET.

Following race coverage on NBC, extended post-race coverage will air on NBCSN beginning approximately at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Simon Pagenaud will start from the pole position in today’s race. Pagenaud is looking to become the second consecutive driver to sweep both IndyCar races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, having won the IndyCar Grand Prix on the speedway’s interior road course earlier this month.

Pagenaud’s teammate Will Power is the defending champion of both races, having won his first Indianapolis 500 last year after leading 59 laps.

Here is today’s schedule:

(All times are Eastern)

Sunday 5/26, 9:00 a.m. ET, Indy 500 Pre-Race, NBCSN and streaming live

Sunday 5/26, 11:00 a.m. ET, 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500, NBC and streaming live

Sunday 5/26, 4:00 p.m. ET, Indy 500 Post-Race, NBCSN and streaming live

In a continuing effort to help fans keep track of the on track action, SuperMotocross is in the process of developing and implementing leader lights for the unified series.

Currently Supercross (SMX) utilizes stanchions in the infield that are triggered manually by a race official. At least two stanchions are used in each race as a way to draw the eye to the leader, which is especially useful in the tight confines of the stadium series when lapping often begins before the halfway mark in the 22-bike field. This system has been in place for the past two decades.

Later this year, a fully automated system will move to the bike itself to replace the old system. At that point, fans will be able to identify the leader regardless of where he is on track.

The leader lights were tested in the second Anaheim round this year. An example can be seen at the 1:45 mark in the video above on the No. 69 bike.

“What we don’t want to do is move too fast, where it’s confusing to people,” said Mike Muye, senior director of operations for Supercross and SMX in a press release. “We’ve really just focused on the leader at this point with the thought that maybe down the road we’ll introduce others.”

Scheduled to debut with the first SuperMotocross World Championship race at zMax Dragway, located just outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 3D carbon fiber-printed LED light will be affixed to each motorcycle. Ten timing loops positioned around the track will trigger the lights of the leader, which will turn green.

SMX’s partner LiveTime Scoring helped develop and implement the system that has been tested in some form or fashion since 2019.

When the leader lights are successfully deployed, SuperMotocross will explore expanding the system to identify the second- and third-place riders. Depending on need and fan acceptance, more positions could be added.

SuperMotocross is exploring future enhancements, including allowing for live fan interaction with the lights and ways to use the lighting system during the race’s opening ceremony.

Read more about SuperMotocross