Tornado warning, thunderstorms force IndyCar to make big changes to Iowa schedule

Rain is perhaps the most frustrating facet of Mother Nature that can spoil a day at the racetrack, but IndyCar fans were treated to much more than just a simple rain shower on Friday afternoon at Iowa Speedway. 

During an Indy NXT practice session, rain stopped the clock with 12 minutes left in the session. IndyCar teams were readying for a practice session soon after the Indy NXT cars were off track. 

After the track cleared the grandstands due to a lightning strike, a tornado warning was issued that included Newton, the town in which Iowa Speedway resides. 

The tornado sirens near the track soon began to go off, forcing drivers, their families and media to huddle inside the Iowa Speedway media center. Per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, radar indicated that a tornado was as close as three to four miles away from the speedway.