How to watch Indy 500, NASCAR and F1 on Sunday; how F1, IndyCar, NASCAR are different

[ASFN Admin]

It's auto racing's biggest day of the year: IndyCar's Indianapolis 500, Formula 1's Canadian Grand Prix and NASCAR Cup's Coca-Cola 500 are all on track.

Here's how you can watch each race.

Indianapolis 500​

What is it? The biggest race in the world, drawing 300,000-plus fans to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Drivers toil for two weeks of practice and qualifying for the chance to win millions of dollars, wear a wreath of roses and drink the traditional milk in Victory Circle.

Distance: 500 miles, 200 laps on the 2.5-mile oval

Start time: Green flag is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 24, 2026

TV: Fox

IndyCar car dimensions, engine specs, tires, fuel​

• IndyCar machines have a 117.5-121.5-inch wheelbase; about 76 inches wide; 1,635 (road/street) to 1,785 (oval) pounds.
• IndyCar uses a 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with a hybrid that offers combined over 800 horsepower.
• IndyCar uses Firestone tires, including primary (black) sets for handling and durability, and alternate (green or red) sets for faster cornering and increased speed. The alternates also wear out faster. The tires are 15 inches in diameter; front tires are slightly more than 10 inches wide, and rear tires slightly more than 14 inches.
• IndyCar uses 100% renewable fuel made from ethanol, sugarcane waste and other bio-feedstocks.

Formula 1​

• What is it? The world's premier auto racing series, often racing in 20 countries a year.
• This week's race: Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal
• Distance: 70 laps on a 4.361-mile road course at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal.
• Start time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV: Apple TV, Netflix

Formula 1 car dimensions, engine specs, tires, fuel​

• F1 cars are shorter in 2026: 134-inch wheelbase, about 8 inches shorter than 2025; they are also narrower (about 75 inches, down 4), and lighter (roughly 1,700 pounds, down about 65).
• F1 still has a 1.6-liter V6 turbo hybrid. What's new is that power will be provided roughly equally between a fuel-powered combustion engine and an electric motor, which can be recharged through braking and easing the throttle at the end of straightaways. Cars are expected to produce 1,000 horsepower, similar to the previous car.
• F1 uses 18-inch diameter Pirelli tires, the same as before, but they are narrower (1 inch narrower on the fronts to almost 11 inches; 1.2 inches on the backs to almost 15 inches). F1 uses soft (best grip, wear fastest), medium and hard (slowest, last longest) compounds during races.
• F1 is switching to a sustainable fuel made from carbon capture, municipal waste and non-food biomass. It previously used sustainable gasoline.

NASCAR Cup​

• What is it? The most popular North American-based motor sport, which uses stock cars. There are 36 races per season.
• This week's race: The Coca-Cola 600 is NASCAR Cup's longest race of the season, and one of the most coveted for drivers.
• Distance: 600 miles, 150 laps on the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway oval.
• Start time: 6 p.m. ET
• TV: Amazon Prime

NASCAR Cup car dimensions, engine specs, tires, fuel​

• Cup cars are 193.4 inches long, 78.6 inches wide, 50.4 inches tall with a 110-inch wheelbase, and weight about 3,300 pounds.
• Cup cars use V8 naturally aspirated engines that produce about 750 horsepower.
• Goodyear supplies 18-inch radial tires to the NASCAR Cup Series
• Cup cars use a mix of zero-carbon bioethanol made by POET and Sunoco E85 fuel (15% ethanol).

Zion Brown is IndyStar's motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How are F1, IndyCar, NASCAR different; how to watch Indy 500, NASCAR and F1 on Sunday

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