And so it begins… The 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Ten races remain until we crown the Sprint Cup Champion, and that means I’ve got ten very important forecasts to make for the remainder of this season. Last week, at least one team could have used me sitting by their side on the pit box, as the weather undoubtedly affected the outcome of Saturday night’s race at Richmond International Raceway. This weekend, I think my five year old daughter could make the forecast. I’ve got it easy this time around, and that’s good news for fans in attendance, and teams who will surely welcome the news that they can focus solely on the racecars and not Mother Nature’s games.
Sept 17, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; The start of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE
The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series is in Joliet, Illinois at the Chicagoland Speedway this weekend with a pair of afternoon races. The Camping World Truck Series won’t be in Chicago, but they won’t be far away either, as they visit the neighboring state of Iowa for the American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway for night racing on Saturday. Fans and competitors can expect pretty much the same weather in both locations this weekend, and it all looks good.
The green flag for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 is scheduled to drop at 3:46 PM ET on Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Barring another runaway Tropicana orange like the one we saw during Nationwide qualifying back in 2004, this one will start on time with perfect weather for racing. Expect sunshine and a green flag temperature near 77 degrees, cooling off to 72 degrees by the end of the race. Note that if you are camping at the track Friday night or arriving early Saturday morning to tailgate, it will be on the chilly side, with morning lows in the middle 40s.
Not long after the checkered flag falls at Chicagoland Saturday afternoon, the Camping World Truck Series will be taking off in Newton, Iowa at the Iowa Speedway. The weather looks great for this race, too, though those attending might want to bring a light jacket for this race, as it will be cooler. The green flag temperature will be near 62 degrees, cooling into the upper 50s by the time the checkered flag falls. Skies will remain clear, and winds light, with no risk of any weather surprises Saturday night.
Finally on Sunday, the Sprint Cup Series will take center stage for the Geico 400 just after 2 PM ET. It will be a clear and crisp start to the day with morning low temperatures around 50 degrees and light winds. As the day wears on, we should see skies become partly cloudy, but there is no chance of showers to worry about. Temperatures will warm up nicely again, with green flag temperatures near 78 degrees cooling to near 72 as the checkered flies, very similar to Saturday’s forecast.
That’s it, it’s just that simple this week. So simple, a caveman could probably do it (Get it? It’s the GEICO 400…) Enjoy the racing and check in again next week as we take a look at the forecast for the Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series races at Kentucky Motor Speedway. Looking into my crystal ball, these may be a little trickier…