What is IndyCar's Rookie Orientation Program, and how to watch it

Welcome to the “Month of May” — albeit a week early. For the non-indoctrinated, the Month of May is considered the most wonderful time of year in American motorsports (especially if you’re an IndyCar fan), accounting for the near month-long traditions of all things racing happening at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway leading up the grand event, the Indianapolis 500, or “Indy 500” for everyone else.

But there’s a key event that helps gets things rolling, falling near that first week in May, and that’s IndyCar’s Open Test and Rookie Orientation Program. So here’s a little guide as to what it is, what happens, what to expect, and how you can watch the test Wednesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 24.

What is IndyCar’s Open Test?

IndyCar’s Open Test is the whole of the two days allocated for teams to test their cars and setups for the Indy 500. Indy car setups are considerably different from anything they would run through the rest of the season, including the engine tuning. Teams are able to run “boosted” engine levels for the 500 event meaning the engines have the ability to run with a little more power (re: increased horsepower), that they can utilize during qualifying and the race. This year will be exceptionally different as it will be the first time that Indy cars will run the hybrid engines for the 500 as well (the hybrid engines were introduced at the series’ race at Mid-Ohio in July of last year).

What is the Rookie Orientation Program or “ROP”?

A portion of the Open Test is dedicated to the Rookie Orientation Program or “ROP” which is just what it sounds like — a program dedicated to onboarding the rookies participating in IndyCar. Now, a test to put shiny, new drivers to the speedway has been around since the earliest years of the 500, but the requirement for a rookie to test prior to running “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” was officially established in 1936, after rookie and well-known dirt track racer Johnny Hannon who tragically died from his injuries from a crash during his first practice run for the race in 1935. It’s truly about ensuring the safety of every driver behind the wheel of the race.

The official test has evolved over the near 90 years it has been required. To start, today, per IndyCar’s rulebook, any rookie in the IndyCar series who has not participated in an Indy 500 or completed a Rookie Orientation Program at another approved track prior, OR any driver who has not participated in an IndyCar oval race since the previous Indy 500 race is required to take part in the ROP.

Even the most world-reknowned and accomplished drivers must complete the test if they have never competed on an IndyCar oval. In more recent years drivers that means drivers like Romain Grosjean, F1 world champion Fernando Alonso, and NASCAR’s Kyle Larson, have all been put through their rookie paces in order to race the 500.

Fernando Alonso, McLaren Chevrolet, during open testing in 2019 at IMS

Photo by: IndyCar Series

The test itself is divided into three different phases — where drivers are expected to meet certain speeds for a given number of laps to demonstrate they can maintain control of the car. Drivers do have to pass at least two of the three phases to practice for the 500, but must meet all three phases to be eligible to qualify.

There is also a “refresher” program portion of the ROP — for the drivers who have not run an Indy car since the previous 500. This is actually the program Larson will run in his Arrow Mclaren-Hendrick Honda entry to get up to speed for the event. This part of the “test” only consists of the second and third phases of the ROP.

How you can watch IndyCar rookies and veterans in action

A special part of the Open Test and ROP is that it is open and free to the public both days. So if you are in or around the Indianapolis area, you can make your way to IMS to see the cars in person.

For the rest who may be at home, IndyCar streams both days of open testing on their YouTube channel. Wednesday’s open test day begins with Oval Veterans Practice from 10am-12pm EDT. The Rookie Orientation Program and refreshers follows from 12-2pm. Then the track is open to practice for the entire IndyCar field from 2-6pm.

Thursday, drivers and teams can get a feel for the boosted engines during the “High Boost Session” from 9:30am-12pm, which is followed by another open field session which wraps at 6pm.

The next event in the Month of May will be the “Indy Grand Prix” on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course May 10. “Bump Day” qualifying weekend for the Indy 500 follows May 16-18. And the grand finale of the month — the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 — is Sunday, May 25.