INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials delayed the start of today’s Indianapolis 500 due to impending bad weather in central Indiana. Speedway officials asked the more than 125,000 fans inside the venue to leave the stands and Snake Pit and take shelter late Sunday morning before allowing fans to return to the stands three hours later.
IMS announced that approximately 345,000 tickets were purchased for the race.
The alert came at 11:17 a.m. and IMS noted that pre-race festivities would stop at that time until further notice. Supporters were allowed to return to the stands shortly before 2:15 p.m. A start time for the race was not immediately available.
IMS President Doug Boles provided an update at the IMS media center at 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning, noting that such a delay was likely, but Penske Entertainment officials spent the next 30 minutes s to ensure that the severe weather cell, which stretches from northern Wisconsin to Nashville, Tennessee, would not break up.
“Given the proximity of the lightning heading toward (IMS), a decision was made to suspend the pre-race show and move fans out of the grandstands and Snake Pit,” the message said. “Spectators are encouraged to follow the instructions of IMS team members. They should exit the stands in an orderly manner and implement their personal safety plans.
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“The start of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 will also be delayed. Additional schedule updates will be provided.”
The call to delay the start of the 108th edition of the 500m came just as Terre Haute was getting hammered by a dark red part of the radar, with no “window” in sight. At a press conference at 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning, Boles admitted it would be difficult to suggest where fans should gather until the lightning and rain pass — “You can’t predict where the lightning will strike” — but the call to evacuate the stands was made early enough that fans could leave their seats and even return to where they parked their cars if they wished.
Fans will be allowed to re-enter IMS if they choose to leave. Track personnel at the exit gates will be able to guide fans through the proper procedures to ensure they will be allowed to re-enter the facility when the weather has subsided.
Bole said weather experts consulted by the track estimate that this series of storms – an initial round of high winds and lightning, followed by a few hours of rain – should pass between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., after which the track can start on drying process. Equipped with a fleet of NASCAR “air titans,” IMS was able to dry the track once during the practice week in just 77 minutes.
If the weather stopped around 3 p.m., Boles said he hoped the race could start between 4:30 and 5 p.m. If additional pockets of rain were to wait until the second visible wave of storms arrives this evening – potentially as early as 8 p.m. – it seems likely that IMS should at a minimum be able to crown a 500 winner on Sunday evening.
We don’t really know if they will have to complete all 200 laps or just 101 laps.
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