NASCAR has changed the weekend schedule at Charlotte Motor Speedway due to the potential of troublesome weather from Hurricane Isaias.
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Practice and qualifying sessions for both the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and Cup Series have moved up by two hours as the forecast currently calls for rain and possible flooding as the day progresses.
This means that O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice will start at 8:30 p.m. ET (weather permitting) while qualifying will follow at 9:35 a.m. ET. Both sessions will air on the CW app and the ESPN app with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.
An update to Saturday’s schedule.
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— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) October 9, 2026
Cup Series practice will follow at 11 a.m. ET. Qualifying will then take place at 12:05 p.m. ET. The coverage will air on truTV. PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will provide radio coverage.
The race times remain unchanged. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race is set for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Cup Series race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 11.
Hurricane Isaias, which started as Tropical Depression 9, has progressed into a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching 120 mph. It is expected to make landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast between Alabama and the Florida panhandle.
Hurricane Isaias is about 90 miles south of Pensacola Florida. Winds 115 mph. Conditions deteriorating quickly within the storm surge and hurricane warning areas. Residents should be seeking safe shelter. A north-northeastward to northeastward motion is forecast on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/Eiv9qHe2U4
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) October 9, 2026
The National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Isaias is expected to quickly move inland through Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley after making landfall. This will cause damage to power lines and trees. It will also lead to heavy rainfall throughout the Southeastern United States.
For NASCAR fans, in particular, the expectation is that the industry will experience some rain delays on Saturday while trying to continue the Chase schedule.
"Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m.," the National Weather Service Saturday forecast states. "Patchy fog after 11 a.m. High near 67.
"East northeast wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible."
