2024 Indy 500: What happens if it rains? Will the race continue on Monday? Rules explained

The 108th edition of the Indianapolis 500 is due to take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana on Sunday (starting at 12:45pm ET), although there are fears the race could be affected by adverse weather forecasted in the area.

What is the weather forecast for the 2024 Indy 500?

The latest updates suggest there will be two spells of storms, with accompanying rain, which may well affect the on-track action. The first is predicted to occur around midday into the early afternoon, just at the time the race is due to get underway. With lightning and gusty winds expected, racing could be delayed or stopped shortly after the green flag is waved.

The second wave is forecast to begin in the late evening, which would normally allow the race, which usually lasts around three hours, to finish. However, if there is an earlier delay, there could also be some weather-related issues later on in the day.

Indy 500 postponement rules

For the race to be official, drivers must complete 101 of the 200 laps. At that point, the event can be called and a winner declared (milk, prize money, Borg-Warner Trophy and all) if racing can’t continue. The shortest ever race took place in 1976, when only 102 laps (255 miles) were completed.

If less than 101 laps have been finished, the race must resume. That could happen on the same day, although the postponement could be carried over into the following day depending on the weather.

How many times has the race been affected by rain?

12 of the 107 previous editions of the race have been affected by adverse weather.

Three were completely postponed to a later date, two started on one day before being finished on another, while seven have been shortened.

The most recently interrupted races came in 2004 and 2007, both of which were stopped on two occasions. The former was halted at the 450-mile mark and the latter after 415 miles, both as a result of second spells of rain.