Indy 500 2018 live updates: celebrities, songs, partying in hot weather

This is the Indy 500 live feed for fanfare and other event happenings — everything but the race. If you're into the actual race, follow our Indy 500 live race coverage.

1:08 p.m. update

From IndyStar's David Lindquist:

No IndyCar driver is a bigger fan of electronic dance music than Conor Daly, who presented Joel “Deadmau5” Zimmerman with a custom mouse-ear racing helmet before Zimmerman’s headlining performance at the Snake Pit.

IndyStar caught up with Zimmerman before the race, and his Snake Pit performance inside Turn 3 begins at 1:45 p.m.

"I’m usually waking up right about now," he said. "It’s hot, but get some water and some fans and I’ll be all right."

12:45 p.m. update

The National Weather Service reports that the temperature at Indianapolis International Airport reached 90 degrees at 12:40 p.m.

It's been 243 days since Indy last reached 90 degrees.

12:27 p.m. update

From IndyStar's James Briggs:

Here’s a pro tip for attending the Indy 500: Have your tickets in hand before you show up.

People who arrived at IMS with tickets passed through the gates with almost no wait Sunday. But lines of at least 15 minutes awaited those who needed to purchase tickets or retrieve them from will call.

"I kind of made a mistake," said Todd Fletcher of Plainfield while standing in line minutes before the race started. "I thought I could print the tickets."

Fletcher was looking ahead to dozens of people in front of him.

"Maybe about Lap 10, I’ll make it in there," he said with a wry laugh.

As Chad Trehar of Pittsburgh got in line to buy tickets for his 27th Indy 500, his companions worked the secondary market for a quicker way in. After a few minutes of going nowhere, he got the signal that he could get out of line.

"We just got tickets somehow," he said. "Right now, I have no idea."

Not everyone was stressed about getting in. Lauren Ehler and Doug Wright rode their bikes from Downtown, a 30-minute ride, and got in line just before the race started.

"It’s race day. I’ve been here before," Wright said. "We’ll hear it."

12:18 p.m. update

12:15 p.m. update

12:05 p.m. update

Noon update

11:56 a.m. update

Remaining Snake Pit schedule:

12:20-1:35 p.m. - Axwell Λ Ingrosso

1:45-3:15 p.m. - Deadmau5

3:30 p.m. - Snake Pit Gates Close

11:53 a.m. update

11:43 a.m. update

11:37 a.m. update

11:34 a.m. update

11:22 a.m. update

11:13 a.m. update

11:11 a.m. update

11:06 a.m. update

From IndyStar's Dave Lindquist:

Jim Cornelison has fond memories of his debut rendition of “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” before the 2017 race.

"I felt fantastic," he said during a red-carpet interview. "I felt like everything I personally wanted to accomplish, I did. Which is all that you can do, right? You come into a venue like this, you hope people like what you do. People responded so warmly. So that felt fantastic as I was holding the note at the end of the song. It was exciting."

Cornelison will sing “Back Home” for the second time today.

Sharing the red carpet with Chris Hemsworth, the “Thor” actor who will wave the green flag today, Cornelison said he has a different favorite among Marvel superheroes.

"This isn’t intellectual or artistic, but I always loved the Hulk," Cornelison said. "I’m not sure I want to lose that much intellectual capacity, but I have to say: That was my guy."

10:59 a.m. update

10:56 a.m. update

From IndyStar's Dave Lindquist:

Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo, driver of this year’s Indy 500 pace car, didn’t rule out “The Star-Spangled Banner” as his pre-race role in upcoming years.

“We’ll see,” he said during a red-carpet interview. “It might happen. You never know.”

The NBA All-Star said he’s happy with his off-court singing career:

“It’s going great,” said Oladipo, who released his interpretation of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” in 2017. “It’s something I just do to get my mind away from things and kind of relax. I’m still in the studio making songs, and I’ll hopefully drop some more stuff later in the summer.”

Oladipo arrived on the red carpet a few minutes after “Thor” actor Chris Hemsworth. Given the chance to be a superhero himself, Oladipo said, “I’d definitely want to be a ‘God of Thunder.’ That’s pretty dope. I was actually starstruck a little bit meeting Thor.”

10:55 a.m. update

Here's the rest of today's schedule:

11:34 a.m. - Indianapolis 500 Driver Introductions

11:43 a.m. - Military March

11:45 a.m. - "America the Beautiful"

11:47 a.m. - Military Address delivered by General Joseph Lengyel

11:54 a.m. - Presentation of Colors

11:53 a.m. - Invocation delivered by Archbishop Charles Thompson

11:55 a.m. - "Taps"

11:57 a.m. - "God Bless America" performed by Jon McLaughlin

11:59 a.m. - National Anthem performed by Kelly Clarkson

12:01 p.m. - Flyover

12:11 p.m. - "Back Home Again in Indiana" performed by Jim Cornelison

12:12 p.m. - "Drivers Start Your Engines"

12:19 p.m. - 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil

3:30 p.m. - Snake Pit Gates Close

5:00 p.m. - Public Gates Close

10:49 a.m. update

10:47 a.m. update

10:41 a.m. update

The race doesn't start for another hour and a half.

10:39 a.m. update

10:32 a.m. update

10:24 a.m. update

10:21 a.m. update

10:19 a.m. update

10:06 a.m. update

Thor.

10:01 a.m. update

From IndyStar's James Briggs:

Food isn’t the only thing you’ll find outside Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In between food trucks selling elephant ears and tenderloin sandwiches, Jehovah’s Witnesses have set up 20 stations around the entrances. Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for door-to-door outreach, but descend upon the Indianapolis 500 for a simple and practical reason.

“If we went door to door, none of these people would be home,” said Niki, a volunteer stationed near Gate 6, who declined to give her last name because she is not authorized to speak on behalf of the organization.

While most ticket-holders were in a hurry to get inside the venue, volunteers said some occasionally stop by to talk about the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses refer passersby to a website, JW.org, as well as providing information about participating in Bible studies.

“If they’re interested, they can come to us, but we don’t force ourselves,” Niki said.

Other volunteers declined comment, but referred IndyStar to a main station, where they said the Jehovah’s Witnesses are keeping data on all interactions with race fans. A volunteer at that station declined to comment or provide figures, referring IndyStar to JW.org and saying a national spokesperson might follow up.

There are more than 8 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, according to the website, which explains that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian religion with many theological differences from other mainstream denominations.

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ carts, which include pamphlets and information about their religion, can regularly be found in busy areas of Downtown Indianapolis, such as locations along the canal. IMS is a regular destination for their outreach, Niki said, noting there are hundreds of thousands of people who come through the gates each year.

“As long as there’s something going on at the track, we’re here,” she said.

9:51 a.m. update

Indiana University graduate Jim Cornelison.

9:45 a.m. update

9:42 a.m. update

9:09 a.m. update

From IndyStar's Dave Lindquist:

One day after her 34th birthday, Indianapolis resident Danielle Davis brought three Indy 500 ticket stubs to the track today in hopes of running into Rick Mears.

With a bit of luck, she found him outside the Team Penske garage.

“Rick Mears just signed my 1985 ticket stub,” she said. “The reason that one’s so special to me is because my mother actually went into labor with me prior to the start of the Indy 500 in 1984.”

Danielle’s mother, Robin, didn’t waver in her commitment to that year’s 500 Festival Parade one day before the race.

“She said, ‘I think I’m in labor,’ ” Danielle said. “ Everybody said, ‘Let’s go, we have to go.’ She said, ‘No, I’ve never missed a parade. I’m not going to miss this one.’ She sat through the whole parade in labor, and then drove herself to St. Francis Hospital.”

Mears won in 1984, one of his four victories, In the tradition of Indy 500 tickets, the previous year’s champion is pictured the following year.

“This is my first time actually meeting him,” Danielle said. “So, it was really cool to tell him that story.”

8:59 a.m. update

Check out an IndyStar livestream from Gasoline Alley with race talk and cool guests.

8:48 a.m. update

8:39 a.m. update

8:37 a.m. update

8:15 a.m. update

The indefatigable IMS president Doug Boles and friend.

8:12 a.m. update

Music has started at the Snake Pit.

8:10 a.m. update

8:08 a.m. update

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and driver Danica Patrick are dating. Here's a story on what Rodgers is thinking before today's race.

8:05 a.m. update

Check out "Pit Pass Live" starting at 9 a.m. It's streaming at IndyStar.com and the Facebook pages of IndyStar Sports and USA Today Sports.

8 a.m. update

7:55 a.m. update

Pace car driver Victor Oladipo

7:40 a.m. update

7:35 a.m. update

IndyStar's Dave Lindquist will be reporting on the celebrities as they arrive at the red carpet.

7:25 a.m. update

There might be a new track record today. The hottest Indy 500s (weather, not speed):

92 degrees (1937)

91 degrees (2012 and 1953)

7:05 a.m. update

6:55 a.m. update

6:50 a.m. update

6:45 a.m. update

Here's today's schedule. Snake Pit set to open soon.

6 a.m.-12:19 p.m. - IMS Midway Open

7 a.m. - Snake Pit Gates Open

8: a.m. - Parade of Bands

8:30-9:55 a.m. - Borg-Warner Trophy March to the Bricks

9 a.m. - 500 Festival Princess Parade Laps

9:30-10:30 a.m. - Celebrity Red Carpet - Pagoda Plaza

10:05 a.m. - "On the Banks of the Wabash" performed by Purdue University Band

10:28 a.m. - Green Flag delivered by IU Health Helicopter in Turn 1

10:35 a.m. - Indianapolis 500 Winning Drivers Laps

10:55 a.m. - Historic Race Car Laps

11:34 a.m. - Indianapolis 500 Driver Introductions

11:43 a.m. - Military March

11:45 a.m. - "America the Beautiful"

11:47 a.m. - Military Address delivered by General Joseph Lengyel

11:54 a.m. - Presentation of Colors

11:53 a.m. - Invocation delivered by Archbishop Charles Thompson

11:55 a.m. - "Taps"

11:57 a.m. - "God Bless America" performed by Jon McLaughlin

11:59 a.m. - National Anthem performed by Kelly Clarkson

12:01 p.m. - Flyover

12:11 p.m. - "Back Home Again in Indiana" performed by Jim Cornelison

12:12 p.m. - "Drivers Start Your Engines"

12:19 p.m. - 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil

03:30 p.m. - Snake Pit Gates Close

5:00 p.m. - Public Gates Close

6:40 a.m. update

Here's a map of the track from IMS.

6:21 a.m. update

6 a.m. update

Ladies and gentlemen, start your stampede.