NASCAR: The Five Worst Wrecks From Last Weekend (Las Vegas)

No. 5 – The Weather

Yes, this technically is not a wreck but when only two of the three series run and neither is filled with cautions, you have to improvise.

The weather in Las Vegas on Sunday was bizarre to say the least. The consensus around NASCAR from the drivers and the broadcasters was that NASCAR has never been in a situation with winds like that. During pre-race the winds were topping out around 50 MPH at times. After the race got underway the wind died down and was in the 20-30 MPH range. Then later in the race the winds picked back up and were gusting in that 50 MPH range at the end of the race and during the post-race festivities.

Oh, and let’s not forget the sand. There was a point later in the race where a sandstorm hit one end of the track, another sight that you don’t see every weekend in NASCAR. At the time that the sand hit, the race was already under caution. For a couple of laps while the sand was still in the air it was hard to see the cars on the track. When the field went back to green it was still hard to see the cards the first time back around the track.

When you roll the dice in Vegas one should know that anything could happen. However, when it comes to racing in Vegas there are certain things you expect and certain things you don’t imagine coming into play. Before Sunday not many would have predicted this kind of weather being an issue, especially all at once. After Sunday, NASCAR fans and drivers will be ready if this ever decides to happen again in Las Vegas.

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