When you have to go: Indy 500 drivers on what going to the restroom looks like in a race

When you have to go: Indy 500 drivers on what going to the restroom looks like in a race

• 103rd Indy 500: 12:45 p.m. Sunday, NBC

INDIANAPOLIS — When drivers climb into their cars for the Indianapolis 500, it’s a fact they need to be hydrated. With the heat that comes from racing in the middle of the day and the fireproof racing suits insulating them, water can be a driver’s best friend.

It can also be his or her worst enemy when it needs to be released.

The Indy 500 doesn’t make it easy for racers to address restroom needs even before the race starts. Once on the track, drivers feel as if they aren’t in the same zip code as the nearest restroom.

“You run to the pagoda and hope you’re first in line for one of the four (public) bathrooms that are there,” Conor Daly said of having to go prior to the race.

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Many racers try to pace themselves so they can use the restroom before they reach the track. If the need arises, some take Daly’s approach, while others, such as Santino Ferrucci, find the nearest golf cart or scooter and do their best to weave through traffic.

“You try to time it out so you hit it some point before you leave the greenroom,” J.R. Hildebrand said. “But the driver entrance is like 20 minutes before you have to deal with it. I think what you’re actually trying to do is be well-hydrated well before you go out there.”

The race often lasts three-plus hours and it’s impossible for a driver to stop for a bathroom break without putting him or herself at the back of the pack. While many drivers try to hold it in until the end of the race, it isn’t always possible. It can also cause problems if the racer is caught in a wreck.

“I just pee myself,” Will Power said. “No one wants to hit a wall with a full bladder. You burst that bladder you’re in big trouble.”

There is some strategy to when drivers allow themselves to go. On top of trying to convince themselves to pee with their clothes on, they are also thinking it through while traveling at speeds topping 230 mph.

“It’s harder to do than you think, especially under green,” James Hinchcliffe said, putting the lie to “green means go.”

“You wait until you’re on the straightaway and then you do it,” Graham Rahal said. “It’s pretty hard to do, actually. I think everybody thinks it just sort of happens, but it takes actual concentration to make it happen, so I try not to do it that much.”