NASCAR facing serious risk of Fontana schedule change

There is plenty of rain in the forecast for this weekend at Auto Club Speedway, which could wreak havoc on the NASCAR schedule.

After a season-opening race weekend Daytona International Speedway during which rain caused an early end to the NASCAR Truck Series race, rain could and probably will play a role during this coming race weekend for the Xfinity Series and Cup Series at Auto Clup Speedway.

According to The Weather Channel, there is a 100% chance of rain on Saturday. Cup Series practice is currently scheduled to begin at 2:05 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1) on Saturday afternoon, with qualifying scheduled to follow at 2:50 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1).

Fortunately, the forecast for Sunday is a bit more promising, with only a 21% chance of rain.

Want your voice heard? Join the Beyond The Flag team!

Write for us!

The NASCAR Cup Series race, the Pala Casino 400, is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) on a day that is simply supposed to be “mostly cloudy”.

If qualifying ends up being rained out, the starting lineup for the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Fontana, California oval would be set by the formula (detailed here) which is usually used to set the qualifying order.

A full provisional starting lineup for Sunday’s Pala Casino 400, using that formula, can be seen here.

The Xfinity Series race, the Production Alliance Group 300, is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1), making it far more likely to be postponed than the Cup Series event.

Practice for that race is set to take place at 12:05 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1) on Saturday afternoon, followed by qualifying at 12:35 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1), but both could be canceled if the rain falls when it is predicted to.

Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss a moment from the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Auto Club Speedway! Stay up to date with Fox’s coverage schedule amid potential changes due to inclement weather.