NASCAR: 5 Lessons Learned From Bristol Motor Speedway

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Aug 20, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; General view during a rain delay at the NASCAR Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Only the most prepared teams were able to handle Bristol this weekend. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Paying Attention to Weather Matters

This might seem like something obvious, but when it comes to night races watching the weather radar is extremely important.

Car setups can be different for a night race, with cooler temperatures calling for different settings than a race during the day.

Bristol however provided solid proof of how teams need to pay attention to the weather and should have a plan for how to handle the race if it gets pushed to the day time. A track like Bristol can become a completely different animal when run during the day, and if teams only prepped for a night race they could find themselves struggling during the day.

We’ve seen weather impact a race before, but it usually just pushes a day race from Sunday to Monday and teams can usually get away with running the original setup they had. Bristol though was a prime example of how weather can turn a night race into a day race and completely change the way a track was expected to handle.

There are only a couple of night races left in the NASCAR season and as teams get ready for the Chase and the races in the Chase, they need to consider those night races potentially turning into day races.

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