UPDATE (1:05 p.m. ET): INDYCAR has announced a schedule change for today as weather affects both them and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Iowa Speedway.
Practice 2 and qualifying for Sunday’s Iowa Corn Indy 300 have effectively flip-flopped. Practice 2 will now take place at 2:45 p.m. ET, and qualifying will go off at 7 p.m. ET.
The original schedule had qualifying slated for 3 p.m. ET and Practice 2 for 7 p.m. ET.
This morning’s first practice session was cut short by rain after just 15 minutes of running at the 7/8-mile bullring.
With about one hour to go, the yellow came out for track conditions. While drivers initially remained strapped into the car, the rain picked up in intensity and with lightning also in the area, IndyCar chose to call the session early.
This weekend’s forecast has rain figuring heavily with a 70 percent chance of precipitation today and a 60 percent chance tomorrow. The race is slated to take the green flag Saturday night at 8:50 p.m. ET (coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra).
“As always, we’re going to wait and see what the weather does but if you look at the forecast, it looks like [the rain] going to drive in until almost Sunday,” INDYCAR president of competition Derrick Walker said to IndyCar Radio.
“I hate to say that, but we’ll try to get the [backup] plans out there and let the fans know as soon as possible.”
Andretti Autosport’s James Hinchcliffe, the defending champion at Iowa Speedway, was fastest in this morning’s abbreviated session with a lap of 183.647 miles per hour.
Two more Andretti drivers – rookie Carlos Munoz and former Iowa winner Marco Andretti – also posted laps within the Top 5. Munoz was third-quickest (183.105 mph) and Andretti was fifth-quickest (182.255 mph).
Occupying P2 and P4 were a pair of Chip Ganassi Racing drivers. Kanaan was second with a lap of 183.562 mph and Charlie Kimball was fourth after a lap of 182.536 mph.
