NASCAR Cup Series: More bad weather in store?
By Asher Fair
As it has multiple times since the break, rain could again come into play for NASCAR as the Cup Series travels to Martinsville Speedway this Wednesday.
Rain and thunderstorms affected three of the first four NASCAR Cup Series races after the sport returned following a 10-week hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
NASCAR’s return at Darlington Raceway went well on Sunday, May 17, but the next three races ended up being altered due to bad weather.
The race at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday, May 20 was delayed due to rain after NASCAR initially moved up the start time to try to combat the threat of bad weather.
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Then both races at Charlotte Motor Speedway were affected. The first one, which was held on Sunday, May 24, didn’t finish until the wee hours of Monday, May 25 as a result of a lengthy pause in action due to rain after the race began.
The second one was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 27 but was postponed until Thursday, May 28. This race also featured a pause in action due to rain after it began.
Fortunately, the most recent two races have gone off without a hitch as far as weather is concerned. Bristol Motor Speedway hosted a make-up race from early April on Sunday, May 31 and Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted a make-up race from mid-March on Sunday, June 7.
But NASCAR has yet to see three consecutive tracks hosts races with zero weather-driven changes through the first 10 races of the 36-race season, and that doesn’t look like it will change this week, at least not based on the current forecast.
This Wednesday, June 10, NASCAR is set to travel to Martinsville Speedway for the third midweek Cup Series race in the last four weeks — and for just the second Wednesday race since 1984.
But according to The Weather Channel, things don’t look all that promising for Wednesday night’s 500-lap race at the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) oval in Ridgeway, Virginia.
This race, the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500, is slated to be the track’s first ever night race, and it is scheduled to get underway shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET. There is an 80% chance of thunderstorms throughout the day, and that chance rises to 90% throughout the evening.
Thursday’s forecast looks more promising, although it is far from a sure thing. There is a 50% chance of rain throughout the day and a 20% chance throughout the evening. On Friday, there is only a 10% chance of rain during the day and a 0% chance at night.
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As of now, be sure to tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET this Wednesday evening for the live broadcast of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season’s 11th race, but be sure to look out for schedule changes.