Rain threatens Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600: Weather updates for races

The two biggest races on the Memorial Day Weekend calendar are both facing unsettled skies Sunday, with rain threatening to play a role at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway alike.

The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 gets underway at 12:45 p.m. ET with a 45% chance of rain and a high of 70 degrees.

The National Weather Service forecast shows rain likely to hold off until around 2 p.m. ET, with skies partly sunny and temperatures nearing a high of 80 degrees. Current forecasts push the last rain away from Indianapolis between 4 and 6 p.m. ET, giving the race a window for good conditions. The 500 has been bitten by weather before. The 2024 edition was delayed four hours by thunderstorms before finally going green.

Conditions don’t look better 600 miles south.

Cloudy skies with a slight chance of spotty showers are in the forecast for the 67th Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With the clouds keeping temperatures in the 70s and dropping to the 60s as the night progresses, conditions would actually be comfortable if the rain holds off. The Charlotte area will be subject to no less than a 60% chance of rain at any point during the scheduled race, according to the hourly forecast. Charlotte has already seen its Truck Series race pushed back multiple times this weekend due to the rain.

The night race format does not help the Coca-Cola 600. Once darkness falls and moisture moves in, track conditions can deteriorate quickly.

Katherine Legge is watching both forecasts carefully. She is attempting Double duty Sunday, racing in Indianapolis before heading to Concord, North Carolina, for the 600. Any significant rain delay at the Indy 500 could compromise her already tight window between the two events. A delay at Charlotte, on the other hand, might actually buy her some time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 weather forecast: Rain and possible delays