Mother Nature may be throwing a wrench in the plans of F1 fanatics on Memorial Day weekend.
The Indy 500 is scheduled to take place Sunday from The Brickyard in Indianapolis. The race is one of the most iconic in motorsports history and is undoubtedly the most prestigious on the IndyCar circuit.
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There are plenty of racers aiming to claim a win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Josef Newgarden won the competition last year, marking the first Indy 500 win in the career of the Team Penske driver. Newgarden is again regarded as a favorite for the event, as well as his Team Penske teammateWill Power andpole-sitter Scott McLaughlin,
Rain for the Indianapolis event is nothing new. In fact, since the creation of the race in 1911, 29% of the Indy 500 race days have had precipitation, according to Indianapolis meteorologist Ethan Rosuck.
How does the forecast look for Sunday? The Sporting News is keeping track of all the latest weather updates for the Indy 500.
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Indy 500 weather updates
(All times Eastern)
Saturday May 25
4:30 p.m. —The Indy 500 will evidently have a hard stop time of 8:15 p.m. ET if the race doesn't run 500 miles by that point. That will be another wrinkle to watch during The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
.@IndyCar says they will run 500 miles, or throw the checkered flag at 8:15 p.m. -- whichever comes first "in agreement with local law enforcement, to ensure race fans are able to leave and return home safely tonight."
— Nathan Brown (@By_NathanBrown) May 26, 2024
3:47 p.m. —Here's the full revised schedule for the Indy 500, including the start time and pre-race ceremonies:
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 26, 2024What do you say we do this thing? 😤
See AlsoEverything to know for the Indy 500: How to watch, start time, favorites, weather10-Day Weather Forecast for Indianapolis, IN - The Weather Channel | weather.com2024 Indy 500 weather forecast: will it rain on Sunday?Pre-Race for the 108th Running of the #Indy500 presented by @GainbridgeLife is coming up next!#ThisIsMay | #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/otcdIVrIme
3:20 p.m. —We have a tentative start time for the Indy 500. The race is set to begin at4:44 p.m. ET. Track drying is ongoing, and IMS will provide fans with updates if anything changes.
2:43 p.m. —Track drying is underway at IMS, and The Athletic's Jeff Gluck reports that IndyCar rented some Air Titans from NASCAR for the weekend to assist in drying efforts. Perhaps that will speed up their efforts to resume the race.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway rented some Air Titans from NASCAR for this weekend. Hopefully that helps speed things up here.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 26, 2024
2:04 p.m. —Good news, racing fans. The gates at IMS have reopened as lightning hs cleared the area surrounding the track. Track drying will soon begin, and that may put the race on track for a 4 p.m. ET start.
Lightning has cleared the area around the Speedway. Gates have re-opened, and spectators may return to the grandstands. pic.twitter.com/hMqA5cxNMm
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 26, 2024
1:55 p.m. —The race delay is ongoing, but if you happen to see some racing on NBC, just know that's a replay of last year's race. We're still awaiting a start time for the 2024 Indy 500.
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 26, 2024As the start of this year’s #Indy500 is delayed, we’re replaying the 2023 race.
Stay tuned to NBC and Peaco*ck for more updates.
1:24 p.m. —It's looking like the rain will be over by 2 p.m. ET. Brian Neudorff — who provides weather forecast analysis on X (formerly Twitter) — estimates the race will start some time between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET.
107pm - per radar have about an hour of light rain (could diminish before) I still think 70-90min of drying I still like 4-430p start for the #Indy500
— Brian Neudorff (@NASCAR_WXMAN) May 26, 2024
Soon enough, we'll see if that estimate is accurate.
12:52 p.m. — It is raining heavily in Indianapolis. Even if this storm doesn't last long, the track at IMS will need to dry out before the race can begin. This seems likely to be a lengthy delay — and one that will almost certainly keep Kyle Larson from completing The Double.
#Indy500 pic.twitter.com/eUkhgl7GYX
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 26, 2024
12:40 p.m. —Lightning has officially been detected in the area near Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Spectators are being asked to exit the grandstands as the race delay continues.
Lightning has been detected in the vicinity of the Speedway. Please exit the grandstands in an orderly fashion and seek shelter. You should implement your personal safety plan. Gate ingress has stopped, but gates will remain open for egress. pic.twitter.com/qMU4lmc2QF
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 26, 2024
11:30 a.m. —IMS has announced it will delay the start of the Indy 500 and its pre-race ceremonies because of the proximity of lightning to the track. Fans are being moved out of the grandstands and Snake Pit.
IMS says that "additional updates on timing will be communicated" as the weather passes.
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 26, 2024Given the proximity of lightning moving toward the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a decision has been made to pause the pre-race ceremonies and move fans out of the grandstands and Snake Pit.
Spectators are encouraged to follow the instructions of IMS team members. They should… pic.twitter.com/Yk9W2AVOpr
11:05 a.m. —The No. 1 concern of Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Bolles is about lightning that could come with the approaching storm, per The Athletic's Jeff Gluck.
Bolles said at his 6:20 a.m. ET news conference that the next couple of hours would determine a lot about the race. He also detailed IMS wouldn't wait until the storm was "eight miles out" to delay the race, as they need to give spectators time to relocate.
"This is a challenging moment for all of us, but the most important thing is for us to keep all of our customers safe," Bolles said.
The race was originally expected to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET. IMS thought about moving up the start of the race by 30 minutes but the latest storm cell prevented the track from doing that. Now, Bolles and Co. are considering whether to delay the race and its pre-race festivities until after the first storm passes.
"We hope once we get through this rain, we have a good opportunity on the backside of this to get the racing in," Bolles said, per Gluck.
9:40 a.m. —The main concern with the storms coming to Indianapolis is the severity of the conditions. Heavy winds are expected in the areas, as well as showers and thunderstorms in the morning.
Multiple rounds of severe weather are possible on Sunday. Damaging wind gusts are the primary threat with large hail, tornadoes, and localized flooding also possible. Make sure to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts. #inwx pic.twitter.com/hCNX0siHhy
— NWS Indianapolis (@NWSIndianapolis) May 25, 2024
The conditions are expected to worsen as the day goes on but the worst weather isn't supposed to hit until closer to midnight on Sunday, when the race should be long over.
"Showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 1am and 2am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am," per the National Weather Service.
Friday, May 24
It feels like it is inevitable that there will be rain Sunday, so it's going to be a matter of how much precipitation falls on race day.
The problem is the severity of the impending storms. The weather is expected to be extreme Sunday, with plenty of high winds and thunderstorms in the forecast.
There is an enhanced risk of severe weather on Sunday. Afternoon through evening hours appear to have the higher threat, but still low confidence on timing. All hazards including damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are possible. Stay weather aware this weekend! #INwx pic.twitter.com/V4nxkTClV4
— NWS Indianapolis (@NWSIndianapolis) May 24, 2024
It appears as though it will be worse in the evening. That does not bode well for the Indy 500 if it needs to be delayed.
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Indy 500 weather forecast
- Chance of rain (Sunday): 80percent
- Chance of rain (Sunday night):90 percent
Sunday's forecast as of May 25 (7:30 p.m. ET):"Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4pm. High near 80. South southeast wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible."
