The three national NASCAR series and the ARCA Menards Series return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27-29 for a special weekend. The Xfinity Series and Cup Series races should take place without issues, but thunderstorms could disrupt the Friday schedule.
According to Weather.com, the forecast calls for a 90% chance of precipitation on the morning of Friday, May 27. There is an expectation of thunderstorms in the morning that will lead to overcast skies later in the day and in the evening. The chance of rain falls to 15% at night when both the ARCA Menards Series and Camping World Truck Series races take place.
There are fewer concerns during the actual races, but the inclement weather could disrupt ARCA Menards Series practice and qualifying sessions (12 p.m. ET). The weather could also play a role in whether the Truck Series and Xfinity Series drivers can take part in their own practice and qualifying sessions. The schedule calls for the Truck Series to hit the track at 1:30 and 2 p.m. ET. The Xfinity Series will follow at 3:30 and 4 p.m. ET.
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The Entry Lists Feature Too Many Drivers
GettyThe Truck Series drivers will return to action at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
One of the biggest concerns about the weather is how it will potentially impact the starting lineup. If the Truck Series and Xfinity Series drivers can’t take part in practice and qualifying, NASCAR will set the starting order based on its points formula and take away opportunities for part-time teams to secure spots in the races.
If this happens, the extra drivers on the two entry lists will not be able to post a qualifying lap and attempt to make the show. There are currently 37 drivers on the entry list for the Truck Series race, but only 36 will compete.
The Xfinity Series, for comparison, has 42 drivers on the entry list. There are 38 spots in the field, so four will not make the show. The entry list features several drivers running part-time or making one-off starts, including Austin Dillon in the No. 48, Kyle Sieg in the No. 28, Nick Sanchez in the No. 99, and Timmy Hill in the No. 13.
Thunderstorms Previously Disrupted the Coca-Cola 600
GettyNASCAR drivers compete during the 2017 Coca-Cola 600.
There are previous races at Charlotte Motor Speedway that have weather-related issues. The 2017 Coca-Cola 600 is a fitting example. This Crown Jewel race started on Sunday, May 28, but a series of storms brought the action to a halt
The race went under caution after Matt DiBenedetto hit the wall, but it did not go green again. Lightning in the area brought out the red flag on Lap 143 of the scheduled 400. Martin Truex Jr. led the drivers down pit road, where they waited for one hour and 39 minutes due to a series of storms moving through the area.
Track crews were able to resume drying around 8:15 p.m., and the race went green shortly after. Though the drivers still had to complete the rest of Stage 2, as well as Stages 3 and 4. They were able to achieve this goal without further issues, and Austin Dillon won the fuel mileage battle to reach Victory Lane for the first time in the Cup Series.
The hope is that there won’t be any weather-related issues during the Memorial Day Weekend trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The forecast indicates that the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races won’t have issues, but fans will continue to monitor the radars.
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Thunderstorms Could Shake Up Charlotte Schedule