HAMPTON, Ga. — Two of the national NASCAR series will head to Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 11-12 for a pair of night races. However, the weather forecast creates concerns about potential interruptions in the action.
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Both races will begin at 7 p.m. ET on their respective days, times that coincide with the increasing risk of thunderstorms in the area.
According to WeatherUnderground, the forecast is more favorable on Saturday evening as the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series teams head to the starting grid. The forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and a 44% chance of rain.
The rest of the night remains clear. The chance of precipitation drops to 13% at 8 p.m., and it remains in the mid-teens for the rest of the night. A delay of the race start remains very possible, but teams will still face favorable odds to get the race in as planned.
Sunday's forecast is more troublesome. WeatherUnderground currently calls for cloudy skies in the morning and then scattered thunderstorms starting at 1 p.m. The chance of rain increases to 68% by 4 p.m. before dipping down to 22% at 5 p.m.
The forecast remains relatively clear for most of the evening with the chance of rain remaining in the low 20s. It's possible that the Cup Series race could begin on time, but this depends on the amount of rain that falls and how track drying progresses. Lightning strikes could also put crews into a holding pattern.
The forecast also calls for increased chances of rain late into the night, at a time potentially in the final stage. The chance of rain at 10 p.m. sits at 42%. It increases to 48% by 11 p.m.
This is the south, so the forecast will potentially change entering the weekend. For now, the industry will just continue to watch the forecast and try to predict whether the two races will face any delays.
