The Indy 500 starting field traditionally consists of 33 cars, lined up in 3 rows according to their qualifying time. It hasn’t always been 33 starters though. The very first Indy 500 in 1911 had a starting field of 40 and the number varied until 1934 when the maximum was set at 33. Since then there has been just two exceptions (35 cars in 1979 and 1997).