A year after making his Indianapolis 500 debut, Nolan Siegel returns for a second tackle at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing this upcoming Sunday, May 24.
The 21-year-old Siegel from Palo Alto, California, will take the green flag at the start of Sunday’s ‘500’ event from the seventh row, 20th place, in his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Dallara-Chevrolet entry. From his starting spot, he will be rolling off the grid near two of his teammates, 18th-place starter Christian Lundgaard and 22nd-place starter Ryan Hunter-Reay, while his third teammate, Pato O’Ward, starts near the front in sixth place.
Despite starting within the midfield area, Siegel pinpoints the notes and the on-track experience he gained from competing in the Indianapolis 500 in 2025 and last week’s practice sessions prior to qualifications. All these factors have made him optimistic in searching and gaining speed when preparing his entry for the main event.
“I think having done the race last year gives me a different perspective through all of the practice this year,” Siegel said in the DEX Imaging Media Center. “Just knowing what to expect and what I need from the car, what I need for myself, has changed a little bit. I have a much better idea of what I need and how to get that. I think that I’ve done a better job of getting what I need sooner.”
At this time a year ago, Siegel was the 31st-fastest competitor at the conclusion of the Fast Friday practice session that occurs a day before on-track qualifications. This season, he boosted himself up to 10th place and generated speeds that were above the 232-mph range. Qualifications for this year’s Indy 500 generated a different story for Siegel, who registered a four-lap average-qualifying speed that was nearly four-tenths of a second slower compared to 2025 (230.571 in 2025 vs. 230.213 in 2026).
Nevertheless, Siegel fought through the warm and windy temperatures to start four places better on the starting grid (20th). Despite being the 27th-fastest competitor during the latest practice session this past Monday, May 21, Siegel maintains his confidence with the pace of his car as he strives to be 12 places higher than from the 2025 Indianapolis 500, an event in which he wrecked out of on the last lap.
The time to utilize the speed gained throughout practice for the main event comes as a crucial point for Siegel, who is fighting to retain his place as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES competitor with Arrow McLaren. Currently, the Californian is ranked in 20th place in the 2026 driver’s standings with an average finishing result of 18.2. He achieved his first top-10 result of this season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course nearly two weeks ago.
Now, Siegel will attempt to become the first competitor to achieve a first-career INDYCAR victory in the ‘500’ since Alexander Rossi accomplished the previous feat in 2016. Should he win, he would also join Johnny Rutherford, Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard as the only competitors to win driving for McLaren in the INDYCAR division. He would also achieve a landmark victory as this season marks the 50th anniversary of when Rutherford recorded McLaren’s latest Indy 500 victory (1976).
Siegel’s closing statement was: “[I’m] really happy with our race car now and I’m excited about our chances moving forward on Sunday.”
Nolan Siegel’s second start in the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to occur this Sunday, May 24. The event’s pre-race coverage is slated to air at 10 a.m. ET before the drop of the green flag is scheduled to follow suit at 12:45 p.m. ET, both airing on FOX.
