Indianapolis 500: Could Rain Impact The Race This Afternoon?

The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and showers and storms are in the forecast. The green flag is set to drop at 12:45 p.m. EDT.

Latest Forecast

A stalled front looks to set up across the state of Indiana Sunday, ushering in the chance of rain on race day.

The outlook is currently leaning towards the greatest chance of rainfall occurring around 4 P.M. Fortunately, it looks like they will get enough of the race in to not need to complete the race tomorrow.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the 70s by the afternoon.

Past Race Days

It was a cool race day last year as highs only hit 63 degrees in Indianapolis on May 25, 2025.

As far as rain goes, we don't have to look back far to find out the last time we saw measurable rain on race day. That was back in 2024.

Since racing began in 1911, Indianapolis has recorded measurable rain on 28% of race days. Keep in mind, this doesn't necessarily mean it rained during the race, the percentage just accounts for measurable rain reported in the city of Indianapolis that day.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has an entire database of past weather stats on race day.

The wettest Indianapolis 500 was back in 2004 when the city picked up a whopping 3.8 inches of rain. If you are an avid racing fan or a local you probably remember that day well.

If you have plans to attend the Indy 500 this year, find your poncho now or buy one this week just in case. Remember it's always better to be safe than sorry. Surprisingly, you can bring umbrellas inside the track, but they must not block the view of others, so a poncho may be a safer bet. Here is a list of prohibited items.

Stay tuned for updates.