Severe storm temporarily stops Indy 500, stands cleared
General
- Ludo van Denderen
The first monument on the motorsport calendar - the Monaco Grand Prix - is now behind us, the question is whether the second historic race will also go ahead this Sunday. For now, the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been postponed due to until further notice. The organisers hope that racing can still take place later in the day.
The race was scheduled to start at 12:45pm local time, that is 17:45 (GMT)/18:45 (CET) for Europe. But rain and thunderstorms delayed the start. Not until around 15:00 local time at the earliest would the storm pass. After that, it will take some time for the track to dry.
Doubts about being able to drive full Indy 500
The organisers say they hope to still be able to start the race at 21:30 (GMT). However, it is questionable whether the full five hundred miles can be finished, as a two, much heavier storms are also approaching, which is expected to reach the Speedway in the early evening.
Meanwhile, visitors have been kindly but urgently were requested to leave the grandstands. The approaching thunderstorm makes it too unsafe to remain in the stands. Fans will be kept updated via social media on how the day progresses in the US city.