Lightning and heavy rain disrupt Indianapolis 500 qualifying schedule

Rain and lightning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway disrupted the Indianapolis 500 qualifying process on Saturday, prompting cancellation of morning practice and delaying attempts to set qualifying times for the May 24 race.

IndyCar canceled the full-field practice session scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern, and cars continued to pass through the pre-race inspection line as storms moved through the area, according to local reports. Heavy rain soaked the 2.5-mile oval shortly before qualifying was set to begin at 11 a.m. Eastern, and the storms included lightning that led IMS to clear the grandstands of fans.

Qualifying for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 was originally scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, with the race itself set for 12:30 p.m. Eastern on May 24. The outcome of the day, however, depends on whether the track dries enough for all 33 drivers to complete at least one qualifying run. Each qualifying run consists of four laps, and a full round for all drivers would require roughly three hours if conditions remain stable.

INDYCAR requires all 33 entries to post a time on Saturday for the opening round to be considered...