Indianapolis 500 evacuated for severe storm; race begins after 4-hour delay

INDIANAPOLIS — Severe weather in Indiana delayed the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

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Update 4:45 p.m. EDT May 26: The Indianapolis 500 began after a four-hour delay.

— Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 4:26 p.m. EDT May 26: Race officials said they hoped to wave the green flag for the 108th Indianapolis 500 race at 4:44 p.m. EDT.

The race will run 200 laps or will end by 8:15 p.m. EDT, whichever comes first, IndyCar officials wrote in a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter.

— Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 3:06 p.m. EDT: Officials with the Indianapolis 500 are hoping to start the race at around 4:30 p.m. EDT, according to The Associated Press.

“Our plan all along has been to get the Indianapolis 500 in today and I believe we are on track to do that,” track president J. Douglas Boles said, according to the AP.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the lightning has cleared and that the gates have reopened.

Update 12:50 p.m. EDT: The race was supposed to start at 12:45 p.m. EDT but thunderstorms have caused it to be delayed, The Associated Press reported. Nothing had been announced yet on when the race could start.

The track reportedly takes about 90 minutes to dry, according to the news organization. Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought in NASCAR’s track drying equipment which they are hoping could speed up the drying process.

However, if the rain does continue, that means the race could possibly be moved to Monday, the AP reported.

Original story: Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are working on evacuating approximately 125,000 fans who have already shown up for the race at the Brickyard, according to The Associated Press.

When the race was supposed to start around 12:45 p.m. EDT, the storm’s biggest impact is expected in the Indianapolis area, the AP reported. Heavy rain and lightning was forecast, according to the news organization.

The decision was made to pause pre-race ceremonies as well, according to The Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

No information has been released on how long the delay could last. Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles said that they are hoping to have a window that is big enough to allow the track to dry and have the drivers complete at least 101 laps, which would make the race official, the AP reported.

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