NASCAR changes Nashville schedule due to weather
By Asher Fair
NASCAR has slightly altered the scheduled starting time for Sunday evening’s Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, due to the threat of rain.
NASCAR Cup Series action is back after the lone in-season off weekend of 2023, with the Ally 400 scheduled to take place at Nashville Superspeedway this Sunday evening.
This 300-lap race around the four-turn, 1.33-mile (2.140-kilometer) Lebanon, Tennessee oval had been scheduled to get underway at 7:22 p.m. ET, with live coverage set to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
Live coverage of the 17th race on the 36-race 2023 schedule is still set to begin on NBC at 7:00 p.m. ET, but the start time of the race itself has been moved up by 17 minutes to 7:05 p.m. ET.
NASCAR made the change as a result of the threat of rain later this evening.
According to The Weather Channel, there is a “likely risk of severe weather” in the area, with wind, tornadoes, and hail all ruled possible as well. There is a 46% chance of strong storms beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET, with that percentage increasing to 75% at 11:00 p.m. ET. The storms are predicted to continue through 3:00 a.m. ET.
Green flag for Cup race today is now 7:05p ET / 6:05p CT with the threat of some rain.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 25, 2023
Whether or not these 17 extra minutes make a difference remains to be seen, but given the flexibility available to NASCAR in regard to the race’s start time, moving it up was the clear wise decision.
This race is the first race of NBC’s 20-race portion of this year’s broadcast schedule, with Fox’s coverage having wrapped up at Sonoma Raceway two Sundays ago.
Four of the 10 remaining regular season races are set to air on NBC, while the other six are set to air on USA Network, the NBCUniversal-owned network which replaced NBC Sports Network as the alternative channel during NBC’s portion of the broadcast schedule after NBC Sports Network shut down at the end of 2021.
The first four races of the 10-race playoff schedule are set to be shown on USA Network, while the final six are set to be shown on NBC.
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Tune in to NBC on Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. If you haven’t already done so, begin a free trial of FuboTV today!
DraftKings Sportsbook, which is now offering fans an instant $150 just for signing up and placing a $5 bet, lists polesitter Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing Team and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. as the +550 co-favorites to win. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, the reigning Ally 400 winner, is listed as the seventh favorite at +900.