The 2024 Indy 500 is underway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a length delay. The race was originally set to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET but was delayed four hours by rain and lightning in the area.
Now, 33 drivers will compete to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” but will be doing so during a condensed timeline.
The Indy 500’s finish will be threatened by darkness (IMS does not have lights), more rain nearing Indianapolis and a hard stop time set by the race’s organizers. That may make it difficult to get in a full, 200-lap race — especially if there are more cautions than usual throughout the race.
But how long is the Indy 500, and why might it end early? Here’s what to know about the race as it is run for the 108th time in 2024.
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How long is the Indy 500?
The length of the Indy 500 is in its name. It’s a 500-mile race that consists of drivers completing 200 2.5-mile laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
That said, the race itself becomes official after 101 of the 200 laps are completed. That allows races to be shortened due to inclement weather or darkness, the latter of which often comes into play if the race’s start time is delayed due to rain or lightning.
Six Indy 500 races have been shortened by rain during its century-plus-long history. The most recent came in 2007 when the race lasted just 166 laps because of inclement weather. Dario Franchitti won the race.
The race itself typically takes three hours to complete, but that can change depending on how many cautions and red flags are involved in the race.
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Why the Indy 500 could end early in 2024
The 2024 Indy 500 may end early because it is being completed in a three-and-a-half-hour window. The race’s start time was pushed back from 12:45 p.m. ET to 4:44 p.m. ET because of rain and lightning near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track.
The race is expected to be completed before any more rain falls at the track, but IndyCar still has a hard stop time of 8:15 p.m. ET for the race, per Nathan Brown of the Indy Star. The stop time is “in agreement with local law enforcement, to ensure race fans are able to leave and return home safely tonight.”
The Indy 500 may be completed before the 8:15 p.m. ET stop time, but given that there was a caution after a crash on the first lap, it’s going to be a close call as they look to cram all 250 laps into three-and-a-half hours.
