The start of the Indianapolis 500 was expected to be delayed as a severe storm moved into the area, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate some 125,000 fans who had already arrived for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.
Video boards inside the freeway indicated a severe thunderstorm warning was in place as the storm approached from the west. Heavy rain was expected along with dangerous wind and lightning.
AJ Mast / AP
The brunt of the storm was expected to arrive at 12:45 pm EDT, just as the race was due to begin. It was not known how long the delay would last, but speedway president J. Douglas Boles said officials hope a window after the initial rain band will allow enough time to dry the track and complete at least 101 laps, making the race official. .
The track takes about 90 minutes to dry, depending on several factors. Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought in NASCAR's track drying equipment to use alongside theirs in hopes of speeding up the process.
If the rain persists, or the window to run the race does not last long enough, the entire 200-lap race would be contested on Monday.
“No matter what decision we make at this point, it's going to be difficult for some of our fans,” Boles said. “Our hope still, depending on how the weather looks, we can start drying the track around 2:30 or 3:00 and be able to get going.”
Kyle Larson's plans to run the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Sunday night were also questioned.
The NASCAR star is trying to become the fifth driver in history to complete “The Double” by doing both races on the same day. The last to do so was Kurt Busch in 2014, and the only driver to complete 1,100 miles was Tony Stewart in 2001.
Larson qualified fifth for his Indy 500 debut in a joint effort between Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports.
“I think our plan is to keep that as a priority,” said Larson, who would need a NASCAR waiver to miss the Cup Series race at Charlotte, shortly before the stands emptied. “I think I would be here competing.”
Michael Conroy / AP
Defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden is joined on the front row by Team Penske teammates Will Power and Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin broke the qualifying record by four laps with an average of 234.220 mph.
Newgarden has been trying to rebuild his reputation in the paddock after IndyCar discovered illegal push-to-pass software in all three Team Penske cars and threw out both Newgarden's win and McLaughlin's third-place finish in the season opener. Chairman Tim Cindric, Newgarden's strategist, is one of several team employees suspended for the race.
Only five drivers in 107 runnings have won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in consecutive years.
Chevrolet clearly had the speed advantage in qualifying as the rider took the top eight spots on the grid. But Honda proved it can stay in race tune, meaning there was no clear favorite when the green flag dropped.
