|
|
|
|
1915: Race was scheduled for Saturday May 29. Due to heavy rain during the week, on Friday is was decided to postpone the race until Monday May 31.
1926: Race was halted after 72 laps due to rain. The race resumed over an hour later. Rain fell again and the race was officially ended after 160 laps.
1938: Rain began to fall at the end of the race, and the field was flagged about fifteen minutes later after the first five finishers completed 200 laps.
1940: Rain fell at lap 150, and the final 50 laps were run under yellow light conditions. The first three finishers were allowed to complete the race, then the remainder of the field was flagged to the pits.
1950: Race was ended after 138 laps due to rain. The first ten finishers were credited with times, the remaining cars were flagged.
1956: Heavy rain fells the two days preceding the race, and threatened to cause a postponement or a complete cancellation. Cleanup crews worked diligently to pump water that flooded turns one and two, the infield, and other areas of the track. The race was held as scheduled, and ran its full distance.
1967: Race was started on May 30. On the 14th lap, rain began to fall, and the yellow came out. After 18 laps, the race was red flagged, and officials eventually postponed the resumption until 10:00 AM the following day. On May 31, the race was resumed, and completed.
1970: Rain delays the start of the race by about a half hour. On the pace lap, the start was delayed longer when Jim Malloy crashed in turn four.
1973: The race was scheduled for Monday May 28 at 11:00 AM. Morning rains delayed the start until 3:00 PM. At the start, an 11-car accident stops the race. Salt Walther's car climbed into the catch fence, sending burning fuel into the grandstand, injuring 11 spectators. Walther's car also significantly damaged portions of the fence. The race was red-flagged, and the start was negated. Safety crews attended to the crash scene, and the fence, but rain began to fall again, so the race was postponed, and rescheduled for 9:00 AM the following day. On Tuesday May 29th, rain fell in the morning, delaying the start until 10:15 AM. On the second parade lap, rain began to fall, and the track was red-flagged. Rain fell most of the day Tuesday, and around 2:00 PM, the race was postponed until Wednesday. On Wednesday May 30th, morning rains delayed a start attempt until 2:10 PM. At that time, finally, the race began successfully. On the 59th lap, Swede Savage suffered a tremendous accident at the exit of turn four, and the race was red flagged for clean-up. During the red flag, one of Savage's teammate's crew members was struck and killed by a fire truck in the pit area. Over an hour after the accident, the race was resumed. On the 129th lap a light rain began to fall, and the yellow came out with Gordon Johncock leading. After 133 laps, at about 5:30 PM, the rain started to fall much harder, forcing the race to be stopped. Officials immediately declared the race official, and the tragic race was over with Johncock the winner. About a month later, Savage died of his injuries.
1975: Race was ended after 174 laps due to rain. On the 171st lap, a light rain brought out the yellow with Bobby Unser leading. On the 174th lap, the rain began to fall much harder, and officials immediately prepared to end the race as soon as Unser crossed the finish line the next time around. On the backstrech, Unser, and third place A.J. Foyt crept along at about 70 mph, gently nursing their cars on the slick surface. Several cars, including Bill Puterbaugh, Bentey Warren, Jimmy Caruthers, Pancho Carter, Steve Krisiloff, Sheldon Kinser, and Bill Vukovich, Jr. spin or crash their cars in the wet conditions. Foyt barely edged past Unser and unlapped himself, while Unser took the checkered flag. Johnny Rutherford cautiously crept to a second place finish.
1976: Race was ended after 102 laps due to rain. On the 100th lap, a light rain began to fall, and the yellow came out with Johnny Rutherford leading. When the red flag was displayed during the 103rd lap, it was only 12:45 PM. Officials figured they had plenty of time to dry the track and eventually resume the race. Every effort was made to dry the track, and after a couple hours, the race was about ready to resume. All of the drivers climbed back into their cars, and the engines were restarted. As the engines were warming up, and just as the field was getting ready to pull away, rain fell again, hard enough to wet down the track and prevent a restart. Officials called the race at that point, and before the crew could push his car there, Johnny Rutherford became the first driver to walk to Victory Lane. Scoring was reverted back to the completetion of the 102nd lap.
1979: Rain fell overnight, and forecasts for race day were rather bleak. However, by morning, the rains ceased, and the track dried.
1981: Although the running of the race was not affected, just minutes after the race was over, the skies opened up and poured rain.
1984: The threat of rain loomed over the second half of the race, and threatened to disrupt the finish. Winner Rick Mears, however, finished the race in a then-record average speed, beating the approaching rainstorm, and the race was unaffected. After the race, rain fell for much of the evening.
1986: Race was scheduled for Sunday May 25. Due to rain, the race is not able to be held on Sunday, or the following day, Monday May 26. Officals found themseleves in a difficult postion, because the next possible day to run, Tuesday, was a normal work day. ABC television was contracted to begin television the race live flag-to-flag for the first time. Hounded by a questionable Tuesday weather forecast, the race threated to be run not in its entirety, in front of empty grandstands, with possibly no live television, and with chilling reminders of the tragic 1973 race. After a lengthly meeting, Speedway and ABC officials agreed to hold the race the following Saturday, May 31st. This allowed the spectators to attend, and allowed for live television. The race was indeed completed on a sunny, pleasant, Saturday May 31.
1987: Magnificent clear skys were accompanied by temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s.
1988: Race day was hazy, hot, and humid. Highs were in the high 80s.
1989: Race day saw clear skies and highs in the 70s.
1990: Rain the day before the race soaked spectators at the 500 Festival Parade downtown, but cleared up later that evening. Race day on Sunday dawned clear and pleasant.
1991: Morning rain delayed the start of the race by 55 minutes.
1992: The day before the race was hot and humid, in the high 80s and low 90s. Late in the afternoon, a strong rainstorm and cold front overcame the Indianapolis area, and temperatures dropped nearly 50 degrees in just hours. Race day dawned cloudy and cold, but without rain. Wind chills down to about 39 degrees greeted spectators, and cold temperatures during the race caused serious problems for drivers, making tire temperatures difficult to maintain. Several crashed were blamed on the cold conditions.
1993: Although rain did not affect the race whatsoever, wet weather was predicted before the end of the race. Some teams reportedly prepared for a rain-shortened race, but the race was run to its completion.
1994: The entire race weekend was sunny and warm.
1995: Rain fell the morning of the race, but the start was only delayed by about five minutes.
1996: Rain fell the morning of the race, but the start was only delayed by a few minutes. At the point after engines were started, a miscommunication saw them shut off when it appeared to be raining agian. Within a few moments, engines were refired, and the parade and pace laps began. Shortly following the race, not affecting the outcome, a heavy rain shower soaked departing spectators.
1997: Race was scheduled for Sunday May 25. Morning rain delayed the start of the race. The cars were began to be placed on the grid at 11:43 am. At 11:59 am, heavy rain began to fall, and the cars were wheeled back to the garage area. At 1:30 pm, officials postponed the race until Monday. On Monday May 26, the race began on time, but rain halted the race after only 15 laps. The race has to complete at least 101 laps to be considered official. The race would have to be resumed at some point. At 12:35 pm, the cars were returned to the garage area. Speedway officials were challenged with a situation similar to 1986. The only difference was that the race had already begun. Rules prohibit the race from being "restarted" from the beginning, so instead of waiting until Saturday, the Speedway scheduled the race to be continued the very next day, Tuesday. At 2:15 pm on Monday, the announcement was made that the race would pick up at lap 16 at 11:00 am, and be shown live on ABC. There were several complaints, but the officials felt it necessary to race on the "next raceable day," since the race was already underway, and there were scheduling concerns looming in the following days. On Tuesday May 27, the race was resumed and completed without further delay.
1998: Rain delayed the start of the race by 35 minutes. A stray dog running on the track contributed to the delay. Pre-race ceremonies were held in an unusually interruped manner. There was a gap of several minutes before the singing of Back Home Again in Indiana. Speedway officials wanted to preserve the tradition of the song being sung just before the engines were started.
1999: On one of the best weather days in recent history, rain did not affect the running of the race. Shortly after the finish, light showers fell on the Victory Lane celebration. Eventually, the rain fell heavier, and lightning threatened the departing spectators.
2000: Rain delayed the start of the race by 3 hours and 10 minutes. Most of the cars had been pushed into their positions on the starting grid shortly after 10:00 AM. At 10:07 AM, rain began to fall, and the cars were quickly wheeled back to the garage area. Twenty minutes later, the rain stopped, and track-drying efforts began. At 11:55 AM, the track was nearly dry, but it began to rain again, this time for over 45 minutes. Track drying efforts resumed at 12:40 PM, and the race was expected to begin around 2:00 PM. The track was dried quickly, and the command to start engines was made at 2:01 PM. The race began at 2:10 PM. Seven minutes following the end of the race, it started raining again as spectators departed the track.
2001: The night before the race saw heavy rain, but it stopped by race morning. The race started on time, without any need for track drying efforts. However, rain fell around the halfway point, and laps 107-118 were run under yellow. Rain fell again and caused a red flag at lap 155. After a delay of about 17 minutes, the race was resumed and completed.
2002: Race day boasted clear blue skies and highs in the mid-70s.
2003: Race day was overcast, but mild and most importantly free of rain.
2004: Less than an hour after the gates opened at 5:00 AM, rain began to fall the Speedway. It stopped at about 6:20 AM. At 9:18 AM, rain began to fall again, and lasted until 9:50 AM. At 10:10 AM, rain fell for a third time, and lasted until 10:32 AM. The start of the race would have to be delayed. Track drying began immediately. The race began at 1:10 PM. On the 22nd lap, a light rain started falling, and the yellow came out. After six yellow laps, the red flag was displayed, and the cars returned to the pits. Track drying efforts began, and the race was re-started at 3:30 PM. The red flag had lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes. On the 174th lap, a light rain began to fall, and the yellow came out with Buddy Rice leading. The rain started to fall heavier, and at the completion of the 179th lap, the white and yellow flag were displayed. After 180 laps were completed, the yellow and checkered were displayed, and the race was officially over, with Buddy Rice the winner. The rain continued, with some lightning, and the victory lane celebration took place in the covered area underneath the Pagoda.
2005: Race day provided sunny clear blue skys and warm temperatures in the high 70s.
2006: Race day provided sunny clear blue skies and a near-record high temperature of 89 degrees. Some thermometers at the track topped out well into the 90 degree range.
2007: Rain fell Friday evening and intermittantly on Saturday the day before the race. Overnight, rain fell hard, but stopped before the track gates opened at 6:00 a.m. Track drying efforts began at 6:10 a.m. At 7:55 a.m., rain began to fall again at the track, and continued until about 9:45 a.m. Track drying efforts began immediately after the rain stopped. Pre-race ceremonies started mostly on-time, and the track dried quickly. Despite the morning rain, the command to start engines was given on-time as scheduled, at 1:05 p.m. The race started on-time as well. The race time temperature was 76 degrees, with cloudy, but clearing skies.
Around the 90th lap, reports were indicating that rain was approaching. On lap 107, a restart saw Tony Kanaan pass Marco Andretti, followed by a crash by Phil Giebler. Before the track could be cleaned up, rain began to fall, and the red flag was displayed with 113 laps completed. It was 3:02 p.m. Many fans began to leave the track, however, an official announcement was not made at that time. The cars were returned to the garage area, staged in Gasoline Alley under impound rules. Rain continued to fall, sometimes hard, for one hour, and stopped at about 4:00 p.m. The track drying process began right after 4 p.m. The skies began to clear, and fans began returning to their seats. At 5:43 p.m., the cars were wheeled back to the pits. At 5:56 p.m., the engines were refired, and after a 2 hour and 57 minute delayt, the cars pulled away at 5:59 p.m. The race resumed and ran for several laps until the first yellow. At lap 163, a multi-car crash on the backstrech brought out the yellow with Dario Franchitti leading. Rain was again approaching the vicinity, and before the track could be cleared, the rain began to fall the hardest of the day. The checkered flag was displayed and Franchitti was declared the winner after 166 laps (415 miles). It was the seventh rain-shortened race all time, and the second in four years.
2008: Dawn on race day saw sunny, clear blue skies and zero chance of rain. During the morning, non-threatening clouds covered most of the area, and a warm high of 76 degrees. The sun peaked through several times during the afternoon.
2009: Going into the race, forecasts were for sunny skies and no chance of rain. As race day approached, the forecast became iffy, with a 30% chance of thunderstorms. On race morning, partly sunny skies prevailed. The high temperature was a hot 86 degrees. It marked a rather rare 8th consecutive day at the Speedway without precipitation. After the race, approximately 30 miles to the south, heavy thunderstorms hit Indiana, but avoided the track. On Monday, the traditional winner's photographs were moved indoors, due to heavy rains.
2010: The forecast for race day called for a high temperature in the high 80s, and a 30% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Race day dawned clear and warm, and noontime temperatures were climbing into the high 80s. At race time (1 p.m.), the temperature was 90 degrees (sunny), and the track temperature was 126 degrees. During the race, thermometers in the pit area topped 96 degrees, and the track temperature was measured as high as 131 degrees. Officials considered the day the unofficial "hottest" Indy 500 on record. The official temperature high for the day at the Indianapolis Airport was 89 degrees.
1951: Sixth day (Sun. May 27) of qualifying rained out. Time trials was, at the time, held on three successive weekends. The final day, Bump Day, was moved to Mon. 5/28.
1952: Second Day (Sun. May 18) rained out. Bump Day (Sun. May 25) rained out, and time trials was extended into a fifth day (Mon. May 26).
1953: Pole Day (Sat. May 16) was rained out. On Sunday 5/17, several cars qualifyed with the threat of rain. Halfway through Bill Vukovich's run, rain began falling, but he continued. In a rainstorm, Vukovich wound up winning the pole position. Vukovich would end up winning the race, on the hottest day recorded for the running of the "500."
1956: Third Day (Sat. May 26) rained out.
1957: Second Day (Sun. May 19) rained out.
1960: Third Day (Sat. May 21) rained out.
1967: Second Day (Sun. May 14) rained out.
1968: Rain delays start of Bump Day (Sun. May 26) until 6:55 PM. With the field not yet full, a few cars make an attempt. Due to darkness, some cars wait to qualify until Monday morning (May 27).
1969: Pole Day (Sat. May 17) is rained out, with no cars completing a qualifying run. Rain delayed the start of pole day morning practice until almost 3 PM. At 4:34 PM, one driver, Jigger Sirois, went out to make an attempt. But he waves off after 3 laps. Arnie Knepper went out next, but it began to rain again on his first lap, forcing him to the pits. Rain begins to fall harder, and no other cars are able to attempt to qualify. The next day, the second day (Sun. May 18) is also rained out. All qualifying is postponed until the following weekend.
1972: Rain delayed the start of Pole Day (Sat. May 13). Practice began at 4:30 PM, and the first car to go out on the track for qualifying wasn't until 5:50 PM. Three cars were able to go out on the track to try to qualify, only one actually took the green flag, however, that run was not completed. On the following day (Sun. May 14), Pole Day qualifying was extended, and one trip through the qualifying line was allowed. On Sunday morning Jim Malloy was involced in a crash, and before the track could re-open, rain began to fall. The start of qualifying was delayed until 2:29 PM. The qualifying line was not complete when the track closed, so qualifying would have to be extended into the next weekend. On Sat. May 20, the remaining cars from the qualifying line made their attempts, and Pole Day qualifying was completed. After they were done, the next day (Third Day) of qualifying began.
1974: Rain halts Second Day (Sat. May 18) from 12:45 PM until 4:20 PM. The qualifying procedure was altered slightly in 1974, due to the energy crisis. Instead of four days of qualifying, time trials was cut to two (two Saturdays), and each day was broken into two sessions. The rain delay complicated qualifying, and several faster cars, such as would-be winner Johnny Rutherford, were forced to start near the rear of the field.
1976: Rain delays start of Pole Day (Sat. May 15) until 2:28 PM. The qualifying order began, and was nearly run to completion. When the track closed, there were still cars that had not yet made their qualifying attempt. On the next day (Sun. May 16) two remaining cars from the Pole Day qualifying order made their run, and as soon as they were done, Pole Day qualifying was over, and the Second Day of qualifying began.
1978: Pole Day (Sat. May 13) and Second Day (Sun. May 14) were completely rained out. All qualifications were rescheduled for the following weekend. On Sat. May 20, the Pole Day round was held, and one trip thought the qualifying order was made. About halfway through, rain halted qualifying for two hours. They reopened the track and as soon as the line was complete, Pole Day qualifying was over, and the next day (Third Day) of qualifying began. Only one car was able to complete an attempt in "Third Day" qualifying, and a minute later at 5:11 PM, rain began to fall, closing the track for the day.
1979: Pole Day (Sat. May 12) rained out. Pole Day qualifying was moved to the next day (Sun. May 13). One trip though the qualifying line was allowed, and as soon as the qualifying line was through, the Second Day qualifying began.
1980: Third Day (Sat. May 17) rained out.
1981: Rain delays start of Pole Day (Sat. May 9) by a few hours. Only 12 attempts are made before the track closes. Pole Day qualifying is to be extended into the next day (Sun. May 18). However, rain keeps the track closed all day on Sunday, so Pole Day qualifying has to be extended into the following weekend. On Sat. May 16, the remaing Pole Day qualifying line is allowed to make their attempts. After the qualifying line was completed, the next day (Third Day) of qualifying began.
1983: Rain allowed only practice to begin at 4:12 PM on Pole Day (Sat. May 14), so Pole Day qualifying was delayed until the next day. On the Second Day (Sun. May 15), rain completely washed out the weekend, and not a single attempt had yet been made. On Sat. May 21, Pole Day qualifying was held, and one trip through the qualifying line was allowed. As soon as the line was complete, the next day (Third Day) of qualifying began.
1984: Bump Day (Sun. May 20) rained out. The field had been filled to 33 cars the day before, so no further qualifying was necessary.
1986: Bump Day (Sun. May 18) started late due to rain. The track opened for practice at 3:08 PM. The field was filled to 32 cars, with one position remaining. Qualifications began at 4:01 PM, and the field filled to 33 cars when the first car, George Snider, completed his run. The second car, Steve Chaseey waved off, and moments later Gary bettenhausen bumped his way into the field. After another wave off, the final attempt was made by Derek Daly. He completed one lap, at a speed not sufficient to bump his way into the field. On his second lap, rain fell, and the track was closed for the day, and thus qualifying was over.
1987: All four qualifying days were held without rain. Pole Day was sunny and windy.
1988: All four qualifying days were held without rain. Pole Day was hot and sunny.
1989: Pole Day (Sat. May 13) rained out. The following day (Sun. May 14), Pole Day qualifying was held. One trip though the qualifying line was allowed. As soon as the qualifying line was complete, the next day (Second Day) qualifying began.
1990: Pole Day (Sat. May 12) was rained out. Pole Day qualifying was to be held the following day Sun. May 13. However, rain delayed the start of qualifying on Sunday until 4:34 PM, and only 16 cars were able to make an attempt. The qualifying line had not yet been completed, so Pole Day qualifying would be extended into the following weekend. On Sat. May 19, Pole Day qualifying was completed, as the remaing cars in the qualifying order made their attempts. As soon as the qualifying line was complete, the next day (Third Day) of qualifying began.
1991: Rain ends Pole Day (Sat. May 11) about two hours early. A light rain fell at about 4:30 PM halting qualifying. The track was officially closed about an hour later. The qualifying line had already gone though once, so Pole Day qualifying would not be extended into another day.
1992: Rain delays start of Pole Day (Sat. May 9) until 4:00 PM. When the track closed, the qualifying line had no yet gone through completely. The following day (Sun. May 10), the remaining cars in the qualifying order made their attempts, and as soon as the line was complete, the next day (Second Day) qualifying began.
1993: All four qualifying days were completed without rain. Rain was initially in the forecast for Bump Day, but time trials were held without delay.
1994: On Pole Day (Sat. May 14), the morning practice session began on time. Rain began to fall and closed the track at 9:34 AM. Both sessions of practice were complete, the rain stopped at 10:15 AM, and the track re-opened at 12:16 PM. Qualifying began, and continued until 1:58 PM, when rain fell again. The track was dried, and re-open at 4:57 PM. Qualifying continued until 6:00 PM, however, several cars had not yet had their chance to qualify. Pole Day qualifying was exteneded into the following day. On the Second Day (Sun. May 15), rain fell in the morning, and delayed the start of practice until 11:25 AM. Qualifying began at 12:45 PM. The remaining cars in the qualifying order made their attempts, and as soon as the line was complete, the next day (Second Day) qualifying began.
1995: On Pole Day (Sat. May 13), rain fell in the morning, delaying the start of practice and qualifying. The first session of practice went green at 2:07 PM. Qualifying began at 4:45 PM, and continued until 6:00 PM, however, several cars had not yet had their chance to qualify. Pole Day qualifying was exteneded into the following day. On the Second Day (Sun. May 14), the remaining cars in the qualifying order made their attempts, and as soon as the line was complete, the next day (Second Day) qualifying began.
1996: Rain delays start of Pole Day (Sat. May 11) by a few hours. The qualifying line went through completely, so Pole Day qualifying would not be extended into another day.
1997: All four days of qualifying were almost entirely unaffected by rain. Pole day morning (Sat. May 10) dawned with a cold 46 degrees, and delayed the start of practince until track temperatures rose. By 11:00 a.m., the temperature had risen to 60 degrees, and qualifying began on time. Later in the afternoon, the high would be 70 degrees. On Bump Day (Sun. May 18) a very light and very brief drizzle stopped qualifying from 2:19 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., the only rain delay during all of qulaifications. Incidently, the field, at that point had already been filled prior to the rain shower.
1998: Both days of qualifying scheduled, pole day and bump day, were conducted without rain. Pole day was warm and sunny.
1999: Rain delays start of Pole Day (Sat. May 22) start by about an hour. The qualifying line went through completely, so Pole Day qualifying would not be extended into another day. Rain ended Bump Day (Sun. May 23) about 3 hours early. The field had been filled to 33 cars already, so qualifying would not have to be extended into another day.
2000: Both days of qualifying scheduled, pole day and bump day, were conducted without rain. Pole day was cool, with a high of 56 degrees.
2001: All three days of qualifying were held without rain. Pole day had a high of 65 degrees.
2002: Short rain showers fall off and on during Pole Day (Sat. May 11), but do not significantly affect the qualifying. The high temperature would be 65 degrees. The Second Day (Sun. May 12) was completely rained out. Bump Day (Sun. May 19) started an hour late due to rain, and ended about 3 hours early due to rain. The field had been filled to 33 cars already, so qualifying would not have to be extended into another day.
2003: Pole Day (Sat. May 10) began with the morning practice sessions on schedule. An accident involving Billy Boat in the second practice session caused a red flag, while workers replaced the attenuated barrier at the entrance to the pits. Severe thunderstorms began soon after, and the track was red flagged for rain. Lightning and tornado warnings in the area, along with severe rain approaching, prompted the officials to close the track for the day at noon. Pole Day was moved to the next day (Sun. May 11). On Sunday, the rain-rescheduled Pole Day was run for the first time under "traditional" Pole Day rules. The entire day would be deemed Pole Day, not just the first trip through the qualifying line, as had been the case in previous rain-delayed Pole Days. The main reason for this was the fact that zero cars had been able to make an attempt on Saturday, and it would also promote a more competitive day.
2004: Pole Day (Sat. May 15) was delayed by rain. Rain and thunderstorms that had rained out Friday's practice continued overnight and into Saturday morning. Practice on Pole Day was scheduled to begin at 8 AM, but rain continued until 9:30 AM. Track drying began immediately and practice started at 12:23 PM. Time trials began at 2:19 PM. The entire qualifying draw order went through rather quickly, and in fact, additional qualifying took place afterwards up until 6 PM. Therefore, Pole Day qualifying did not need to be extended into the following day. Bump Day (Sun. 5/23) started on time as scheduled. Seven cars qualified early on to fill the field by 1:45 PM. At about 2:10 PM, rain fell lightly to bring out the yellow momentarily. At 2:39 PM, rain fell again, closing the track. The track was dried, and reopened at 4:50 PM for practice or qualifying. No more cars made an attempt to qualify, but a number of cars used the time for practice. A light rain closed the track for the day two minutes before the scheduled 6 PM close.
2005: Pole Day (Sat. May 14) was completely rained out. Rain fell overnight, and all during the morning. In the first year of a new qualifying format, where only eleven cars would qualify on each of the first three days, and bumping would occur on all days, Speedway officials decided that there was not enough time to conduct a full day of qualifying. At 12:15 PM, the track was officially closed for the day, and Pole Day was rescheduled for Sunday, where 22 cars would qualify, all in the same weather conditions. The rain stopped shortly after the official announcement was made, and in fact blue skies preveiled by late afternoon. Some argued that qualifying could have been held, but officials still felt that there would not be sufficient time to get through the entire qualifying order, and it would have spilled into Sunday anyway.
2006: Pole Day (Sat. May 13) was completely rained out for the second year in a row. No practice and no qualifying took place. Rain fell most of the day Friday, overnight, and most of the day Saturday. There were brief periods of light drizzle, but track crews were not once able to begin track drying efforts. Both air and track temperatures struggled to climb over 50 degrees, which according to IRL rules, is required before qualifying can begin. Shortly before 3:00 PM, the official announcement was made that pole day qualifying was rescheduled for Sunday May 14. On the second scheduled day of qualifying (Sun. May 14) rain delayed the start of practice until 1:18 PM. The first of two practice sessions was completed, but the second session was halted at 2:15 PM due to additional rain. Shortly afterwards, track officials closed the track for the day, and rescheduled pole day qualifying for Saturday May 20.
2007: Pole Day (Sat. May 12) was warm and sunny. Skies were mostly clear and the high temperature was 82 degrees. It was the first pole day not affected by rain since 2001, and the best overall weather for pole day since 1998. The second day of time trials has very similar conditions, blue skies, but a high of only 73 degrees.
2008: Pole Day (Sat. May 10) was pleasant and sunny. Second day time trials (Sun. May 11) was cool and rainy. After heavy morning rain, and with rain in the forecast most of the afternoon, the track was closed for the day at 12:25 p.m. without any on-track activity. The third day of time trials (Sat. May 17) saw warm and partly cloudy skies. About 30 minutes after time trials started, a small shower delayed qualifying for about 15 minutes.
2008: The first weekend of time trials saw cloudy skies, but no rain. Pole day (Sat. May 9) was windy. The second weekend of time trials saw near perfect weather. On the third day of time trials (Sat. May 16) a brief period of moisture closed the track from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
92° F: May 31, 1937 (Wilbur Shaw)
91° F: May 31, 1919 (Howdy Wilcox)
90° F: May 30, 1953 (Bill Vukovich)
90° F: May 29, 1977 (A.J. Foyt)
90° F: May 28, 1978 (Al Unser, Sr.)
89° F: May 30, 1929 (Ray Keech)
89° F: May 28, 2006 (Sam Hornish, Jr.)
88° F: May 30, 1934 (Bill Cummings)
87° F: May 30, 1913 (Jules Goux)
87° F: May 30, 1921 (Tommy Milton)
87° F: May 27, 1972 (Mark Donohue)
May 26, 1991: 71° F, overcast, (Rick Mears)
May 24, 1992: 51° F, overcast, winds 13-19 mph (Al Unser, Jr.)
May 30, 1993: Sunny, clear blue skies (Emerson Fittipaldi)
May 29, 1994: Low 80's° F, Sunny, clear blue skies (Al Unser, Jr.)
May 28, 1995: Mostly cloudy, windy (Jacques Villeneuve)
May 26, 1996: Rain, cloudy (Buddy Lazier)
May 25, 1997: 72° F, Rain (rain out)
May 26, 1997: 59° F, winds 16-20 mpph, cloudy, rain, high 65° (start, second rain delay)
May 27, 1997: 72° F, Partly cloudy (Arie Luyendyk)
May 24, 1998: 73° F (start), cloudy, rain, high 80° (Eddie Cheever, Jr.)
May 30, 1999: 76° F (start), partly cloudy, high 82° (Kenny Brack)
May 28, 2000: 65° F (start), cloudy, rain, high 68° (Juan Montoya)
May 27, 2001: 56° F (start), cloudy, rain, high 64° (Helio Castroneves)
May 26, 2002: 60° F (start), sunny, clear blue skies, high 71° (Helio Castroneves)
May 25, 2003: 65° F, cloudy (Gil de Ferran)
May 30, 2004: 79° F, rain, cloudy, windy (Buddy Rice)
May 29, 2005: 72° F, sunny, clear blue skies (Dan Wheldon)
May 28, 2006: 89° F, sunny, partly cloudy (Dan Wheldon)
May 27, 2007: 78° F, morning and late afternoon rain, cloudy but warm throughout the day (Dario Franchitti)
May 25, 2008: 76° F, sunny, partly cloudy (Scott Dixon)
May 24, 2009: 86° F, cloudy, hot (Helio Castroneves)
May 30, 2010: 96° F, sunny, hot (Dario Franchitti)
4.61 inches is average
9.25 inches of precipitation: 1968 (Bobby Unser)
9.23 inches of precipitation: 1981 (Bobby Unser)
9.15 inches of precipitation: 1957 (Sam Hanks)
8.89 inches of precipitation: 1996 (Buddy Lazier)
8.55 inches of precipitation: 2004 (Buddy Rice)
8.46 inches of precipitation: 1929 (Ray Keech)
0.60 inches of precipitation: 1932, Fred Frame (1st driest all-time)
0.60 inches of precipitation: 1934, Bill Cummings (2nd driest all-time)
1.97 inches of precipitation: 2007, Dario Franchitti (25th driest all-time)
68.1 degrees average: 1987, Al Unser, Sr. (tied, 8th warmest all-time)
68.1 degrees average: 2007, Dario Franchitti (tied, 8th warmest all-time)
Source: National Weather Service, Indianapolis, Indiana
Includes only years 1911-1916, 1918-1941, 1946-2006.