Rain Postponements

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Posted: Monday May 24, 1999 03:41 PM

Complete Postponements

1915 -- The race was scheduled for Saturday, May 29th because Memorial Day fell on Sunday that year. The event was postponed the day before the race and rescheduled for the following Monday to give the racing facility more time to dry from torrential rains.

1986 -- The race was scheduled for Sunday, May 25th, but rain forced postponement until the following day which was also washed out. The race was rescheduled for Saturday, May 31st, and was successfully run.

1997 -- The race was scheduled for Sunday, May 25th, but rain forced postponement until the following day. After 15 laps on Monday, May 26th, inclement weather again forced the race to be postponed to Tuesday.

1967 -- The race was rained out after 18 laps and run the following day.

1973 -- The race was started on Monday, May 28th, but a first-lap accident involving Salt Walther brought out the red flag. Before the race could be restarted, rains washed out the event. The race was rescheduled for Tuesday, May 29th but after two parade laps rains again fell and the race was postponed. The race got underway on Wednesday, May 30th, but rain forced the race to be stopped after 133 laps and ruled complete.

Rain Shortened

1926 -- 160 laps (400 miles)
1950 -- 138 laps (345 miles)
1973 -- 133 laps (332.5 miles)
1975 -- 174 laps (435 miles)
1976 -- 102 laps (255 miles)

Additional Notes

1926 -- The only race to have been stopped twice by rain in the same day. The event was temporarily halted on lap 71, and was ruled complete after 160 laps.

1940 -- The final 50 laps were run under caution due to a light rain.

1973 -- This was the last time there was a fatality during the race as Swede Savage of Santa Ana, California was killed during a one car incident on May 29th; it's also the last time more than one driver lost his life at Indy during the month of May as Art Pollard of Medford, Oregon was killed in practice.

 

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