Rain Delays Indy 500 Qualifying

Key Points:

• Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 has been delayed due to heavy rain at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with rain expected to end early afternoon, which will determine if qualifying can proceed Saturday.
• All 33 drivers need to post a qualifying time Saturday for the opening round to be valid; if not, INDYCAR may invalidate all times and restart qualifying on Sunday.
• Qualifying runs consist of four laps and take about three hours to complete; track drying and daylight constraints mean rain must end by around 2 p.m. to allow qualifying to happen Saturday.
• If Saturday is washed out, INDYCAR will decide how to handle qualifying Sunday, potentially running all four sessions in one day, increasing pressure on drivers to post fast times on their first attempts.
• Drivers are focusing on their performance amid changing conditions, with temperatures expected to rise significantly Sunday; the qualifying order has been set with Scott Dixon scheduled to go first.