Three Days, Three Shapes
Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the Indianapolis 8 Hour from Friday 9 October to Sunday 11 October 2026. The venue publishes a gate window and a programme for each day. Friday carries practice and qualifying. Saturday carries the eight-hour race. Sunday carries the closing support races.
Friday runs 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday runs 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday runs 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. That is 27 gate hours across the weekend, and Saturday holds 12 of them.
Friday: Practice, Qualifying, Pole Shootout
Outside parking lots open at 7:00 a.m. Gates open at 8:00 a.m. GR Cup practice runs 8:00 to 8:35 a.m. TC America qualifying runs 8:50 to 9:05 a.m. and GT America qualifying runs 9:20 to 9:35 a.m.
Intercontinental GT Challenge pre-qualifying runs 9:50 to 11:20 a.m. Pirelli GT4 America practice runs 11:35 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. GR Cup qualifying runs 12:35 to 12:50 p.m. McLaren Trophy America races from 1:40 to 2:30 p.m.
The three IGTC qualifying sessions sit in the afternoon. Driver 1 qualifies 3:35 to 3:50 p.m. Driver 2 qualifies 3:57 to 4:12 p.m. Driver 3 qualifies 4:20 to 4:35 p.m. TC America races 4:50 to 5:25 p.m. The Pole Shootout runs 5:35 to 5:50 p.m.
The published list closes with Car Collective laps from 7:05 to 7:35 p.m. That item ends 95 minutes after the published 6:00 p.m. gate close.
Saturday: A Twelve-Hour Window
Saturday is the longest day. Gates run 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with outside parking open from 7:00 a.m. Racing starts five minutes after the gate opens, when GT America runs its 40-minute race at 8:05 a.m.
GR Cup races 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. The IGTC autograph session runs from 9:30 a.m. Pirelli GT4 America races 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Pre-race runs 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and covers hot laps and parade laps.
The eight-hour race starts at 12:30 p.m. and is listed to 8:30 p.m. Three further autograph sessions run at 2:00 p.m., for Pirelli GT4 America, GT America and Toyota GR Cup.
The race window covers 480 minutes. The organiser publishes Saturday sunset at 7:12 p.m. on its provisional event schedule, which leaves 78 minutes of the race after dark. The race is listed to end 30 minutes past the published gate close.
Sunday: A Five-Hour Gate
Sunday's gate window is the shortest at 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and outside parking opens at 8:00 a.m. GR Cup qualifying runs 9:05 to 9:20 a.m.
Five races follow. TC America runs 9:35 to 10:10 a.m. Pirelli GT4 America runs 10:25 to 11:25 a.m. GT America runs 11:40 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. McLaren Trophy America runs 12:35 to 1:25 p.m. GR Cup closes the day from 1:40 to 2:25 p.m.
The Sunday racing window runs 9:35 a.m. to 2:25 p.m., or four hours and 50 minutes. The last race ends 25 minutes past the published gate close.
One Gate, One Grass Lot, Two Drop-Off Points
Gate 6 is the only entrance the venue publishes for all three days. The paid lot is Lot 2, a grass lot on Georgetown Road across from Gate 6. One day costs $10 and the three-day pass costs $25.
The venue's transportation page carries three options. Rideshare and taxi passengers are dropped off and picked up at Lot 3P. Bicycles park outside Gate 6. No shuttle service is published for the weekend.
Lot 2 carries published rules. Buses and box trucks are barred even where a vehicle fits the 10 by 20 foot space, and each pass covers one vehicle.
Camping runs off site at American Legion Post 500, for RVs, pull-behinds and tents. The venue lists the price as varying.
What Three Days Cost
The venue prices tickets in four dated columns. The live column runs 22 September to 11 October. A three-day general admission ticket costs $85 there. The single days cost $20 for Friday, $40 to $45 for Saturday and $30 for Sunday.
A three-day Paddock Plus pass costs $90 in the live column. The single Paddock Plus days cost $45 for Friday, $50 for Saturday and $45 for Sunday. The pass does not cover gate admission, and everyone of any age needs one to enter the paddock area.
The Car Collective costs $145 for three days. It bundles a three-day preferred parking pass, a three-day general admission pass and a parade lap around the speedway. A single day of the package costs $80, and the Friday version carries the parade lap.
Rules At The Gate
Coolers may measure up to 18 by 15 by 15 inches, hard or soft sided. Glass containers are barred. Food and drinks in non-glass containers are permitted, along with strollers, lawn chairs and personal cameras. Tripods and monopods are permitted outside the grandstands.
Drones, selfie sticks, oversize bags and weapons are barred. The venue states it has no provisions for checking or holding prohibited items.
Where To Sleep
The venue publishes no lodging rate and no room block for the 8 Hour. Its event FAQ answers the hotel question with a telephone number for Visit Indy, 1-800-556-INDY.