Weather and the 109th Indy 500

AccuWeather

Weather will play a key role for both the drivers and the spectators at the running of the 109th Indy 500 this weekend.

Transcript

00:00When you think of summer and the beginning of summer, you always think about the Indy 500.

00:05Now, this year's race, Doug, is the sellout. What's the energy and the excitement around

00:11Indianapolis heading into Sunday? There's a lot of energy and excitement. Our ticket sales have

00:17been really strong up until the last 10 days. And when we saw that last 10-day weather forecast,

00:23it's been so good compared to last year that was going to be rain for sure. Our ticket sales got

00:27to the point where we sold out the venue. We're really excited about almost 350,000 people will

00:32be here on Sunday. All right, the Indy 500, it's one of the world's biggest sporting events. How

00:38are your teams preparing for anything that could come up this weekend? Well, one of the biggest

00:43things we focus on, obviously, is weather and trying to get people in, get people out, keep

00:48people safe. Our venue's about 275 acres, lots of grandstands. We want to just make sure that

00:54everybody is safe. We have to really monitor weather, especially in Indiana in the springtime.

00:59You know, stuff can pop up out of the blue. So we got to think through how do we get them in and out?

01:03How quickly do we have to talk to them? It's interesting to watch. Wind is a problem here.

01:08You know, when I was looking at some of the things that annoy people, wind is a problem for our

01:11drivers. So today is our last practice. And really what the drivers are focused on is it's going to be

01:16cooler temperatures than we had in practice. So the air density is heavier. That means the cars will be a

01:21little bit slower because it's harder to get through the air, but they'll also grip better

01:24so they can go faster in the corner. So today they're trying to predict what's the racing

01:28temperature going to be because the ambient air and the humidity and the wind all impacts it.

01:33So today's a testing day to figure out how to work through the weather on Sunday. So it'll be an

01:37interesting day. Well, we're forecasting a dry day, but explain how if rain hits, how the track

01:43conditions change and what safety steps kick in for drivers and crews.

01:48Well, the one thing for us on the ovals, we won't run in the rain because they run slick tires

01:54because that gives you more grip in the dry, but it doesn't work at all in the rain. When we're on

01:58the road course, however, we do run in the rain and they run wet tires or rain tires. So for us,

02:04if it rains, the crews just kind of hunker down, but that humidity and the track after it's been

02:08cleaned off with the rain impacts the grip level. So those are things they think through. Our biggest

02:12challenge for the 500 with rain, especially with storms, is making sure that we keep our

02:18our fans safe. It's less about keeping them dry and more about keeping them safe from

02:22lightning and heavy winds and tornadoes and that kind of thing. If we get into the weather situation.

02:26Well, the countdown's on. So what do these final 48 hours look like for drivers, teams,

02:31and the Speedway staff?

02:33Well, today's the last day they get to practice before Sunday. So that's what the drivers are

02:37focused on. And then the teams get the cars ready for Sunday. Drivers do a lot of sponsor things.

02:42Our fans begin to think about what do they put in their coolers, making sure they have their sunscreen

02:46and getting themselves ready. And then we'll wake up on Sunday morning and we'll go racing for 500

02:51miles. Really quick, Doug, what are you looking forward to most for this year's Indy 500?

02:58Well, what I look forward to the most is seeing families that come with their kids,

03:02the generations of people that have come year over year. It's Memorial Day weekend. So celebrating our

03:07men and women in the armed forces and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. I mean,

03:11it's just really the pomp and circumstance that leads up to the Indianapolis 500. It's my favorite

03:16few moments of the year. And there's a song called Back Home Again in Indiana, kind of like my old

03:20Kentucky home for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. Back Home Again in Indiana is that moment

03:25that you know that the Indy 500 is just around the corner of my favorite 90 seconds of the year.

03:31I've got the chills. I want to go now, but obviously sold out. Doug Bowles,

03:34president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We appreciate it. Hearing your passion come out,

03:38and we hope it's a great weekend.

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