Record heat takes aim at Indy 500 fans, drivers

May 27, 2012 at 10:01 a.m.

by The Associated Press

IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden, left, Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, and Will Power, of Australia, seek some relief from the sun under a broken umbrella during the drivers meeting for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 26, 2012. The 96th running of the race is Sunday where temperatures are expected in the min 90's.
IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden, left, Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, and Will Power, of Australia, seek some relief from the sun under a broken umbrella during the drivers meeting for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 26, 2012. The 96th running of the race is Sunday where temperatures are expected in the min 90's.

INDIANAPOLIS — Tens of thousands of fans are arriving at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what could be the hottest Indianapolis 500 on record.

Temperatures were forecast to climb into the mid-90s during Sunday's race, and many fans brought ice, extra water and misting fans with them for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Laurie Smith of Fishers, Ind., and her 14-year-old son, C.J., even had a black umbrella for quick shade if needed.

Speedway officials spent the week urging fans to take precautions against the heat. The track has brought in portable misting stations and cooling stations, but spokesman Doug Boles predicts more than 1,000 fans will need medical treatment.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says the hottest race day on record was in 1937, when the temperature hit 92 degrees.

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