IMS president details delay plans for Indy 500, Kyle Larson double with Coca-Cola 600 in jeopardy

The Indianapolis 500 is looking at a delay, as the IMS president detailed delay plans for its start time due to inclement weather in the area. With that, Kyle Larson‘s attempted Indy-Charlotte double with the Coca-Cola 600 could be in jeopardy.

The weather also led to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway deciding to pause pre-race ceremonies and remove fans from the grandstand and the Snake Pit. On top of that, IMS announced that the race itself is also going to be delayed due to the weather.

Given the proximity of lightning moving toward the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a decision has been made to pause the pre-race ceremonies and move fans out of the grandstands and Snake Pit.
 
Spectators are encouraged to follow the instructions of IMS team members. They should… pic.twitter.com/Yk9W2AVOpr

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 26, 2024

Jeff Gluck is reporting that IMS president Doug Boles shared that a storm is expected to hit the area around Noon. If that stays on track, fans will be asked to leave the grandstand. On top of that, Boles says the hope is to dry the track around 2:30-3:00 p.m. ET. The Indy 500 would then go on this afternoon. He did not announce a timetable for the latest the race could begin.

Initially, the Indy 500 was set to begin at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET. However, overnight and into the morning, personnel from Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been tracking incoming storms in the area. Because of those storms, and out of caution for the safety of fans, it was decided that the race won’t be starting on time.

For Kyle Larson, this could spell problems. He was planning on running double with the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. However, the delayed start to the race in Indianapolis could make it difficult to do both on the same day, given how tight the time window is between the end of the Indy 500 and the start of the Coca-Cola 600 at 6:00 p.m.

This morning, Boles shared in an event operations briefing that severe weather coming into the area could impact the start time of the Indy 500. According to Jeff Gluck, Boles said that IMS was not going to wait to address bad weather until it’s eight miles out because of the importance of keeping fans safe. Clearly, that’s something that they stood by with this decision to delay the race.

As is often the case, weather is unpredictable. So, it’s not entirely clear when the race is going to be able to get started in Indianapolis.

For now, it’s still speculative about what this means for Kyle Larson. Does he stay and only race in the Indy 500? Does he leave for Charlotte early? Does he still want to try and pull off the double? Jeff Gluck shared his thoughts on it this morning, describing what the weather delay might mean for Larson.

“If the forecast holds and the Indy 500 gets delayed but then starts at, say, 4ish? He simply can’t do both. He’ll have to choose to stay or go,” Gluck posted on social media. “My guess, given all that’s been put into this Indy effort, would be he stays here and misses the 600. But that hasn’t been determined.”

Only one driver has previously completed a double with the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600. That was Tony Stewart, who did it back in 2001. That year, he finished sixth at the Indy 500, quickly had to jet to the Coca-Cola 600, and finally finished third in that race.