Welcome to the 2021 Indianapolis 500! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway gates open at 6 a.m. with the green flag flying at 12:45 p.m. to start the 200-lap race around the famed 2.5-mile oval. About 135,000 fans – roughly 40% of capacity – are expected after the 2020 Indy 500 had no fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scott Dixon leads the 33-car starting grid from the pole position. Dixon is one of nine race champions in the field, which features a prominent international contingent and a rare female-owned team.
Keep up with the pre-race pageantry and news updates, as well as racing action, right here. And please remember to refresh.
Indy 500 crashes:Graham Rahal is out after losing left rear tire, hitting wall in Turn 2
Too cold to race?:What lower temperatures mean for the racing at the Indy 500
2:51 p.m. — Will Power’s day goes from bad to worse.
Will Power spins on pit road. Backwards well short of his spot. Any hope he had to salvage his 32nd starting spot dashed. Just under 50 laps to go.
2:41 p.m. — Indy 500 current standings
Through Lap 137:
1. Alex Palou
2. Helio Castroneves
3. Patricio O’Ward
4. Rinus VeeKay
5. Ryan Hunter-Reay
2:21 p.m. — CRASH: Graham Rahal goes into the wall
After leading eight laps, Rahal pits and as he comes out of pit road, Rahal’s left rear tire, which wasn’t attached correctly, comes off and Rahal wrecks on lap 118. Caution is out. Rahal is out of the car. Conor Daly hits the bouncing tire on track and has some damage to front of his car.
2:19 p.m. — Graham Rahal in lead through 116 laps
Eight drivers have led at least one lap in this Indy 500 (Palou, Castroneves, O’Ward, Daly, Dixon, Herta, VeeKay, Rahal) through 114 laps. Fourteen drivers led in the 2013 race.
2:12 p.m. — Conor Daly having some issues
Daly, who has led 40 laps to this point (most in the race), will go down a lap temporarily after pit stop.
2:08 p.m. — Conor Daly still in the lead
The Noblesville kid has a chance to make some history.
1:55 p.m. — Indy 500 current standings
Through 92 laps:
1. Conor Daly
2. Rinus VeeKay
3. Pato O’Ward
4. Ryan Hunter-Reay
5. Colton Herta
1:48 p.m. — Daly, VeeKay pit; Helio takes the lead
Helio Castroneves leads the pack now as Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay pit.
1:45 p.m. — Indiana native Conor Daly still leads.
Leaders through 67 laps of the Indianapolis 500:
1. Conor Daly
2. Rinus VeeKay
3. Helio Castroneves
4. Colton Herta
5. Alex Palou
1:33 p.m. — Conor Daly takes the lead
Fans at IMS let out a loud cheer as Noblesville’s Conor Daly made a pass for the lead on lap 50. Just as everyone predicted…
1:28 p.m. — Conor Daly all the way up to third
Coming out of caution here’s how top-five looks, including a surprise in third:
1. Colton Herta
2. Rinus VeeKay
3. Conor Daly
4. Ryan Hunter-Reay
5. Helio Castroneves
Daly started the race 19th. We’re still under caution, 44 laps complete.
1:15 p.m. — Disaster for Scott Dixon
Disaster for Scott Dixon, who had to come to pit road for emergency service during the caution and car ran out of fuel and won’t re-fire. He’ll drop a lap.
More:Indy 500 favorite Scott Dixon runs out of fuel, falls 1 lap behind
1:10 p.m. — Stefan Wilson crashes in pit road
Stefan Wilson’s car is backward in pit road, but all the other cars avoid contact. Wilson came in too fast, and ends up spinning. We jinxed it. Yellow flag. UPDATE: Wilson released from medical check, “cleared to drive.”
1:08 p.m. — Green flag racing so far
The leaders are starting to pit 30 laps into the race. All 30 laps have been under green. No jinx, no jinx, no jinx.
12:58 p.m. — How Indy 500 stands after 15 laps
We’re 15 laps into this year’s Indy 500. Here’s how the top-five looks:
1. Rinus VeeKay
2. Colton Herta
3. Scott Dixon
4. Ed Carpenter
5. Tony Kanaan
12:48 p.m. — Youth served early on
Didn’t take long for the youthful exuberance of Colton Herta and Rinus Veekay to snatch the lead from the 40-year-old Scott Dixon. Herta, 21, first passed Dixon, and then VeeKay, 20, passed Herta. VeeKay in the lead after two laps.
12:44 p.m. — Will Power had no power and had to pit on parade lap
Not the best start for Will Power, who was already starting in the back of the pack after a rough qualifying.
The 2018 Indy 500 winner pulled into pit lane on the parade lap Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Whatever the issue, it got resolved quickly and he got back onto the track in time to take the green flag.
12:38 p.m. — Jim Cornelison nails “Back Home Again (in Indiana)”, Roger Penske starts the engines.
‘Chills down my spine’:Indy 500 fans react to ‘(Back Home Again in) Indiana’
12:35 p.m. — We’re getting closer to the green flag.
Flyover, check.
12 p.m. — Scott Dixon says expect crazy Indy 500
Talking with NBC prior to Sunday’s Indy 500, the race’s pole-sitter Scott Dixon said because of the cooler temperatures, he thinks the number of drivers with the potential to drink the milk at race’s end has tripled.
“I think this might be the craziest Indy 500 any of us have been a part of.”
11:45 a.m. — Female Indy 500 drivers
Lyn St. James, who qualified for seven Indianapolis 500s from 1992-2000, shared a moment in the pits with Paretta Autosport, the team made up of 70% women, with Simona De Silvestro behind the wheel.
More:For first time, female-dominant team will compete in Indy 500. Watch their journey
75 minutes of stress:Paretta Autosport survives Last Chance Qualifying to make field
11:30 a.m. — See what celebrities are at IMS for today’s Indy 500
10:30 a.m. — Social media influencers attend Indy 500
Josh Richards and Griffin Johnson take in Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
10 a.m. — Hey Indy 500 fans, Indianapolis Motor Speedway loves hearing from you
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is welcoming fans back with a personal touch. The @IMS Twitter account is responding to dozens of messages online from the 2021 Indy 500. The account is usually active on race day, but today’s online chatter welcomes fans back in person for one of the biggest sporting events since the pandemic began.
