Click for more.
IndyCar announced today an update for “Push to Pass” use for the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone. Beginning with this week’s events on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and for all subsequent road and street circuit races, Push to Pass – a driver-controlled system that provides roughly 60 extra horsepower via increased turbocharger boost – will be available and allowed for use at all times once the car passes the alternate start-finish line following the start and once the green flag has been displayed. Push to Pass timing parameters, including time and maximum time per push, remain unchanged.
“The Push to Pass software failure at the Streets of Long Beach allowed IndyCar an opportunity to fully review the rules of the system and consider any improvements, including leaving Push to Pass available on restarts,” IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles said. “Push to Pass is a driver and team enhancement, which has evolved since its introduction in 2009, and – working with stakeholders – we believe it’s time for this additional update.
IndyCar Officiating, in a separate announcement, provided its findings following a review of the Push to Pass software failure, corrective measures and other rule updates. An examination of the system revealed that in the moments before the full-course yellow and following the Lap 61 restart, simultaneous CAN (Controller Area Network) messages were mistakenly sent from the IndyCar software to the receivers on the cars on track. The system is designed to only send individual signals to the cars. These signals provide telemetry such as ranking, lap count, gaps, differential to the leader, and Push to Pass information and availability. The simultaneous nature of the signals – instead of an individual signal – led to the Push to Pass system shutdown, resulting in the cars never receiving the signal to disable Push to Pass. Instead, the system remained available during the full-course yellow and subsequent restart.
“Analysis of the restart again showed that no cars received a position change as a result of the software error with the exception of car No. 66, which passed car No. 14 despite the fact both cars used it in near-equal amounts. Based on the findings and the fact I IndyCar Officiating did not view this as a team or driver infraction, no changes were made to the official results,” said IndyCar Officiating.
“This has been a superb example of IndyCar Officiating and IndyCar working together to provide our sport outcomes that will greatly benefit on-track competition,” Boles said. “We are confident in the update to the software and are gratified with the outcome of this full review.”
The next race for the NTT IndyCar Series is the Sonsio Grand Prix, round six of the 2026 championship, Saturday, May 9. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX One and the FOX Sports app. Indy NXT has its second doubleheader of 2026 with Race 1 on the IMS road course scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Friday, May 8 on FOX Sports’ FS2 and Race 2 at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9 on FS1.
“While maybe ironic on how we transitioned to this procedural revision, we look forward to seeing how this new opportunity to use Push to Pass will enhance strategy and the potential for even more wheel-to-wheel action,” Boles claimed.
*AutoInformed on
Sonsio Grand Prix Quirks
- Race distance: NTT IndyCar Series: 85 laps, 3 miles.
- Indy NXT by Firestone: 35 laps, 85.365 miles or 55 minutes (Race 1 – Friday), 30 laps 73.17 miles or 50 minutes (Race 2 – Saturday)
Push to Pass Parameters
- NTT IndyCar Series: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum single duration of 20 seconds.
- Push to Pass will be available and allowed for use at all times once the car passes the alternate start-finish line following the start and once the green flag has been displayed.
- Indy NXT by Firestone: 65 seconds of total time.
- Push to Pass will be available and allowed for use at all times once the car passes the alternate start-finish line following the start and once the green flag has been displayed.
Hybrid Energy Deployment
- Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 425 kilojoules (kj) per lap.
Firestone Tire Allotment
- NTT IndyCar Series: Five sets primary (hard) and five sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires in the first practice session. Teams must use one set of primary and one new (sticker) set of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
- Indy NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend, with one new set used for qualifying and another new set used during one of the two races. Qualifying tires must be used during one of the two races. Two carryover sets from the Barber Motorsports Park event may be used during pre-qualifying practice.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Push to Pass Rules Changed For IndyCar Racing
Click for more.
IndyCar announced today an update for “Push to Pass” use for the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone. Beginning with this week’s events on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and for all subsequent road and street circuit races, Push to Pass – a driver-controlled system that provides roughly 60 extra horsepower via increased turbocharger boost – will be available and allowed for use at all times once the car passes the alternate start-finish line following the start and once the green flag has been displayed. Push to Pass timing parameters, including time and maximum time per push, remain unchanged.
“The Push to Pass software failure at the Streets of Long Beach allowed IndyCar an opportunity to fully review the rules of the system and consider any improvements, including leaving Push to Pass available on restarts,” IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles said. “Push to Pass is a driver and team enhancement, which has evolved since its introduction in 2009, and – working with stakeholders – we believe it’s time for this additional update.
IndyCar Officiating, in a separate announcement, provided its findings following a review of the Push to Pass software failure, corrective measures and other rule updates. An examination of the system revealed that in the moments before the full-course yellow and following the Lap 61 restart, simultaneous CAN (Controller Area Network) messages were mistakenly sent from the IndyCar software to the receivers on the cars on track. The system is designed to only send individual signals to the cars. These signals provide telemetry such as ranking, lap count, gaps, differential to the leader, and Push to Pass information and availability. The simultaneous nature of the signals – instead of an individual signal – led to the Push to Pass system shutdown, resulting in the cars never receiving the signal to disable Push to Pass. Instead, the system remained available during the full-course yellow and subsequent restart.
“Analysis of the restart again showed that no cars received a position change as a result of the software error with the exception of car No. 66, which passed car No. 14 despite the fact both cars used it in near-equal amounts. Based on the findings and the fact I IndyCar Officiating did not view this as a team or driver infraction, no changes were made to the official results,” said IndyCar Officiating.
“This has been a superb example of IndyCar Officiating and IndyCar working together to provide our sport outcomes that will greatly benefit on-track competition,” Boles said. “We are confident in the update to the software and are gratified with the outcome of this full review.”
The next race for the NTT IndyCar Series is the Sonsio Grand Prix, round six of the 2026 championship, Saturday, May 9. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX One and the FOX Sports app. Indy NXT has its second doubleheader of 2026 with Race 1 on the IMS road course scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Friday, May 8 on FOX Sports’ FS2 and Race 2 at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9 on FS1.
“While maybe ironic on how we transitioned to this procedural revision, we look forward to seeing how this new opportunity to use Push to Pass will enhance strategy and the potential for even more wheel-to-wheel action,” Boles claimed.
*AutoInformed on
Sonsio Grand Prix Quirks
Push to Pass Parameters
Hybrid Energy Deployment
Firestone Tire Allotment
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.