How-to
Dead Battery on Derby Day Near Churchill Downs in Louisville
If your battery dies on Derby Day near Churchill Downs, don't expect a truck to drive up to your car. Louisville Metro Police close the streets around the track from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on race days. Find the nearest open street, or wait until the closures lift. Then call with that spot, your car and what it's doing. A jump start is often all you need.
Why is a dead battery harder on Derby Day?
On a normal day, a dead battery is a short job. Your driver pulls up nose to nose, clips on, and you're rolling again. On Derby Day, the hard part is the road between the truck and your car.
Each spring, LMPD posts a list of street closures, ramp closures and No Parking zones for Thurby, Oaks and Derby. In 2026 the plan ran from Wednesday, April 29, to Saturday, May 2. Whole blocks around the track were closed to cars. Some interstate exits shut down in the evening, right when the crowd heads home.
So your car may be fine where it sits, but a truck can't reach it. The fix is to know which streets are open before you call.
Which streets around Churchill Downs close?
Here's what LMPD's 2026 list showed. Check the new list each year, since streets can change.
Closed all day, all four days
- 4th Street from Heywood Avenue to Oakdale Avenue
- Oakdale Avenue from 4th Street to the alley at the Churchill Downs backside gate
Closed 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on each race day
- Central Avenue from Taylor Boulevard to Floyd Street
- 3rd Street from Central Avenue to Brook Street
- 4th, 5th, 6th and 9th Streets from Central Avenue to Heywood Avenue
- Longfield Avenue from Taylor Boulevard to 4th Street
- Queen Avenue and Thornberry Avenue from Taylor Boulevard to Warren Avenue
- Homeview Drive and Racine Drive from Taylor Boulevard to the Churchill Downs entrance
The list has more side streets and alleys than this. If your car is on any block between Central Avenue and Longfield Avenue, assume a truck can't get in until 11 p.m.
Which highway exits close on Derby night?
In 2026, these ramps closed on Saturday, May 2:
| Exit ramp | Closed |
|---|---|
| I-65 southbound at Crittenden Drive | 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| I-264 East and West at Taylor Boulevard | 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| I-264 West at 3rd Street/Southern Parkway, and I-264 East at Southern Parkway | 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
Your driver may come in from a different exit than you'd expect. That's fine. Just give a spot on an open street, and let them pick the route.
Where should you wait for a jump?
Most people near the track on Derby Day parked in a lot or a yard. If your car is in one, the best plan is often to stay there. Note the address of the house or business, and which corner of the lot you're in.
If you have to wait while the streets are closed, you have two choices:
- Wait it out. Stay with your car until the closures lift at 11 p.m. Then call with your spot. This is often the easiest way.
- Meet at an open street. If a friend can push the car out to an open road, or you leave and come back, give the cross streets of that spot.
Don't push a car into a closed street or a crowd. If your car stalls on a road with cars moving around it, flashers on and get clear of the lane. If anyone is hurt or traffic is swerving around you, call 911. Sentinel is not an emergency service. For a stalled car that isn't putting anyone in danger, LMPD takes non-emergency calls at 502-574-7111 or 502-574-2111.
Can you leave a dead car in a No Parking zone?
Not for long. LMPD's 2026 plan made some busy roads No Parking around the clock for all four days. These included:
- Taylor Boulevard from Ashland Avenue to Algonquin Parkway
- Southern Parkway from 3rd Street to Southern Heights Avenue
- 3rd Street from Brook Street to Cardinal Boulevard
- 5th Street from Longfield Avenue to Lansing Avenue
- Winkler Avenue from Algonquin Parkway to 3rd Street
LMPD's Vehicle Impoundment Unit tows cars that break traffic rules or block streets. Those tows go to the city's impound lot. Kentucky law, KRS 189.450, also bars leaving a car standing on the roadway. If your battery quits in one of these zones, call for help right away. Sentinel does not do impounds, and you don't want to spend Sunday getting your car back.
What drains a battery on race day?
Derby Day is long. People arrive early, park, and don't come back until late. A few things can leave a battery flat by then:
- Headlights or dome lights left on after a dark early arrival
- Music or a phone charger running with the engine off while you tailgate
- A door or hatch left open a crack, so the inside lights stay on
- An old battery that already cranked slow in the morning
Weather plays a part too. NOAA's normals for the Louisville airport show a May high near 78 degrees and a low near 59. May also averages about 5.18 inches of rain. Rain doesn't kill a battery, but a wet, crowded lot makes it harder to see your car and harder for your driver to find you. Snap a photo of the nearest street sign when you park.
What should you tell your driver?
Have these ready when you call:
- Your exact spot. A house number, a business name, or two cross streets on an open road.
- What the car does. Clicks, cranks slow, or nothing at all. Dash lights dim or dark.
- Your car. Year, make, model and color.
- How your driver gets close. Is it a gravel yard, a tight driveway or a paved lot?
Once your driver is on the way, you can track your truck by text and see their name and photo.
What if it isn't the battery?
If the car still won't start after a jump start, it may need a tow to a shop. Other race day problems have their own fix. Keys locked inside after the last race? Ask for a car lockout. A tire went flat on a curb in a packed yard? A flat tire change puts your spare on.
How does Sentinel work on Derby Day?
Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network, not a tow company. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone is sent, and we check on you by text until help arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. For the rest of town, from Spaghetti Junction to the Gene Snyder, see our Louisville towing page.
Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.
Derby Day Dead Battery Questions
Can a jump start truck get to me inside the closed streets near Churchill Downs?
Usually not while the closures are on. In 2026 they ran 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on race days. Wait until they lift, or give a spot on an open street.
My car died in a Derby No Parking zone. What now?
Call for help right away. LMPD tows cars that break traffic rules or block streets, and those go to the impound lot. If the car is in a lane with traffic, flashers on and get clear.
Why can't my driver take the Taylor Boulevard exit?
On Derby night 2026, the I-264 exits at Taylor Boulevard and Southern Parkway closed from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Your driver will come another way. Just give your exact spot.
Do I need a membership for a jump in Louisville?
No. You call, say what's wrong and where you are, and get a price by text. If you say yes, a vetted local partner comes out.
Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: LMPD Thurby, Oaks and Derby closures, LMPD Vehicle Impoundment Unit, LMPD towed vehicles, LMPD phone numbers, KRS 189.450, NOAA climate normals.
