What Is Push-to-Pass in IndyCar?

Push-to-pass (P2P) is a driver-activated system in the NTT IndyCar Series that delivers a temporary burst of extra horsepower to help a car overtake or defend. The driver presses a button on the steering wheel, the engine’s turbo boost jumps, and the car gains roughly 50-plus horsepower for a short time, but only a limited amount is available across the whole race.

If you have watched an IndyCar road race and heard commentators talk about a driver “saving his push-to-pass,” this is what they mean. The button is not free speed on tap; it is a rationed strategic weapon. Here is how it works, what its limits are, and why it makes overtaking a tactical game.

How push-to-pass works

Modern IndyCar engines are turbocharged, and turbo boost is what push-to-pass manipulates. When a driver presses the P2P button, the system temporarily raises the turbo boost pressure, which increases power output for a short burst. The gain is meaningful, on the order of 50 or more horsepower over the car’s baseline, enough to close a gap on a straight and complete a pass, or to hold off a rival trying to get by.

Crucially, the driver controls exactly when to use it. That makes push-to-pass as much about decision-making as about the extra power itself.

The limits: a rationed resource

The defining feature of push-to-pass is that it is limited. Each driver receives a fixed total amount of P2P for the race, measured in seconds of activation, and once it is spent, it is gone. IndyCar sets the allotment and can adjust the total time, the boost level, and any per-use limits from season to season and event to event.

Feature	How it works
Activation	Driver presses a steering-wheel button
Effect	Temporary turbo-boost increase, roughly 50+ hp
Allotment	A fixed total time (in seconds) per race
Where used	Road and street courses only
Not used on	Ovals, including the Indianapolis 500
Purpose	Aid overtaking and allow defense

Because the supply is finite, drivers must budget it: spend too much early chasing one position and you have nothing left to defend later, or to attack in the closing laps. That trade-off is the whole point of the system.

Attack and defense

Push-to-pass is not purely an attacking tool. A driver being hunted down can use their own boost to defend, matching or countering an attacker’s run. This creates a cat-and-mouse dynamic on the straights: the car behind deploys P2P to draw alongside, and the car ahead answers with its own boost to hold the position. Whoever manages their allotment better, and picks the right moment, often wins the exchange. It rewards racecraft, not just raw pace.

Where it is used, and where it isn’t

Push-to-pass is a road and street course feature. It is not used on ovals, where IndyCar racing already produces close, high-speed pack running and overtaking leans heavily on the aerodynamic tow, or draft, of the car ahead. At the Indianapolis 500, for example, drivers pass using the draft, line selection and fuel and tire strategy rather than a power-boost button. The distinction reflects how differently the two track types race, a theme our IndyCar vs F1 comparison explores in depth.

How it compares to other overtaking aids

Push-to-pass is often compared to Formula 1’s DRS, and the two share a goal, making passing easier, but work differently. DRS opens a flap in the rear wing to cut drag and is only allowed within a set gap in designated zones, whereas push-to-pass adds engine power and is deployed freely by the driver from a personal allotment. In other words, DRS is a controlled, conditional aero tool, while P2P is a self-managed power reserve. Our explainers on DRS in F1 and the F1 points system show how another major series approaches racing and rewards, useful context for understanding IndyCar’s own choices.

Why it matters

Push-to-pass exists to improve the show without turning races into processions. By giving every driver the same limited boost, it keeps overtaking possible while forcing smart management, when to strike, when to save, when to defend. That strategic layer is a big part of what makes IndyCar road racing compelling, and it rewards drivers who think a lap ahead rather than simply those with the fastest car. For a sense of how raw the machines themselves are, our look at the fastest F1 cars offers a cross-series speed comparison.

The short version: push-to-pass is a steering-wheel button that temporarily raises an IndyCar’s turbo boost for roughly 50-plus extra horsepower, drawn from a limited per-race allotment measured in seconds. It is used on road and street courses (never ovals or the Indy 500), works for both attack and defense, and turns overtaking into a strategic duel over who manages their boost best.