NASCAR: Five predictions for Martinsville Fall Race

MARTINSVILLE, VA - APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, and Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, lead the field to green during a restart during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 07: The #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /

Martinsville Prediction #5 – The “R” word could come into play on Sunday

One of the biggest curve balls that could be thrown into the 2017 playoffs would be a rain-shortened race on Sunday. Even though the percentage of rain by race time is low, it could still play a major role in the playoff race.

According to AccuWeather, the chance of rain on Sunday is definitely possible. If the rain comes and causes a shortened race, we could see several things happen. Could the winner be a complete surprise, or could a playoff driver having a bad day use a rain strategy to upset the field?

If you search Ridgeway, Virginia, which is home of Martinsville Speedway, you will see the predicted forecast calls for a 29% chance at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday. The percentage drops to just 20% by 2:00 PM ET and beyond. However, there is always a possibility of a cell traveling over the track and shaking things up a bit.

Another thing to consider is the rubber laid on the track being washed away by morning showers. There is a predicted 56% chance of rain in the morning, meaning the track will be slick when the racing starts.

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