IMS asks Indy 500 fans to consider safety plans as storm approaches

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway asks fans to consider the likelihood of severe weather and lightning protocols when planning their arrival at the track for today’s 108th race.^th Indianapolis 500.

“We think we’re going to have some kind of weather at some point today,” IMS President Doug Boles said Sunday morning. “Our biggest concern in this weather is not so much the rain as it is the lightning. And our biggest concern is ensuring the safety of our customers here at the Speedway. So we will continue to monitor that.

The Speedway, the NTT IndyCar Series, broadcaster NBC and other stakeholders have discussed weather hazards over the past few days. At one point it was possible the race could be brought forward a half hour for a 12:15 p.m. green flag, but that was based on forecasts that the storm would hit mid-afternoon. Updated modeling suggesting rain is now likely to arrive around midday means an early start has been ruled out.

According to Boles, the main problem is not the rain, but the lightning that will accompany it and the associated difficulty of protecting large numbers of spectators in an area as large and exposed as IMS.

“We’ll want to make sure we’re keeping our customers informed, letting them know where we are so they have time to decide what they want to do,” he said. “Whether they want to stay here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or if they want to stay in their car, or frankly, if they want to wait and see how this weather plays out.

“I really think over the next few hours we’ll have a pretty good definition of what that’s going to look like and then we’ll just continue to stay in touch with IndyCar and figure out what we want to do as we move forward .

“This is a difficult time for all of us, but again, the most important thing for us is we want to keep our customers safe and we will continue to monitor the weather with lightning strikes.

“It’s not about looking for a strike eight miles away. So as we start to see the storm develop more, we’ll start to think about asking people to leave the stands much earlier than a five mile radius to make sure they have time to implement their safety plan – if that means they want to stay here, they go back to their car, or they don’t come back at all.

“The good news with this weather is if it comes we will hopefully have something in the end so we can continue racing today.”

IMS will issue additional updates throughout the morning via media communications as well as on the screens and PA of those already on the track, as well as via its social channels.