Scott McLaughlin, of New Zealand, leads a group of cars onto the track during a practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Monday, May 20, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) AP

It is here that we should note that cars qualify for the Indianapolis 500, not drivers. That means that if a particular driver is injured ahead of the race itself, someone else can slide into their car, even if they did not qualify themselves in another car.