Just as they did for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February, NASCAR has moved up the start time for Sunday afternoon's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway due to the threat of rain.
Sunday's 160-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Long Pond, Pennsylvania oval had been slated to get underway at 3:00 p.m. ET, with the green flag set to fly at 3:21 p.m. ET
Now the start time has been moved up by two hours, and the race is set to get underway at 1:21 p.m. ET.
NASCAR moves up Pocono Raceway Cup race
According to The Weather Channel, there is a 24% chance of precipitation on Sunday afternoon, largely due to the threat of a stray shower or thunderstorm as the day progresses.
Pocono notably does not have track lights, which gives NASCAR more reason to move up the start time and give themselves an extra two hours to run the full race distance.
Some fans, of course, would argue that this extra cushion also inherently provides a reason for the series to implement consistent noon or even 1:00 p.m. ET start times across the board, regardless of whether or not a track has lights.
There is an 89% chance of severe thunderstorms throughout the evening hours as well, further justifying NASCAR's decision to be proactive at Pocono.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, a seven-time winner at the "Tricky Triangle", took the pole position in Saturday afternoon's qualifying session. Hamlin is riding a two-race winning streak, which moved him into a tie for ninth on the all-time wins list with 63. He has never won three races in a row before. His most recent Pocono win came in 2023.
Tune in to Amazon Prime Video at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday for the live broadcast of the Great American Getaway 400 from Pocono Raceway. Don't miss any of the action from the "Tricky Triangle"!
Add us as a preferred source on Google