Indianapolis 500 start time delayed

Field Level Media|published: 05/26/2024, 12:27pm EDT

Fans evacuate the grandstands as a storm moves ahead of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The start of 108th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday has been delayed due to expected inclement weather in the area.

The delay was announced approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of the race. Fans were instructed to leave the grandstands, although they were allowed to remain at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"The most important thing we've got to do today is make sure that the fans that are here right now and the fans that are coming continue to stay safe and that's really been our priority from the very beginning," track president J. Douglas Boles said.

Boles said the rain is expected to happen later in the afternoon, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway targeting a time between 4:30 to 5 p.m. CT for the green flag.

The delay significantly affects Kyle Larson, who was planning to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday night in Charlotte, N.C., after driving the Indy 500.

"I think our plan is to keep this as a priority," Larson said before the grandstands were emptied. "I think I would be here racing."

Josef Newgarden is the defending champion of the Indy 500.

--Field Level Media