NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, and after weather wreaked havoc on the schedule at Kansas, teams should have a much different problem to deal with in the desert.
Heat. A lot of it.
The latest forecast calls for temperatures to climb to around 98 degrees on both Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, when the NASCAR Cup Series continues the Chase with the South Point 400.
More importantly for NASCAR, the forecast currently shows no rain threat on either day.
That should be welcome news after rain wiped out Cup practice and qualifying at Kansas Speedway last weekend. But with practice, qualifying and racing all scheduled during the hottest part of the Las Vegas weekend, conditions could still become a major storyline.
Here’s what NASCAR teams and fans can expect.
NASCAR Las Vegas Weather Forecast Calls for 98-Degree Weekend
Saturday is going to be a long, hot day at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Weather Channel’s latest forecast calls for mainly sunny skies and a high of 98 degrees, with light and variable winds. The chance of rain currently sits at 0%. Saturday night should remain mostly clear as temperatures eventually fall to around 74 degrees.
That’s particularly notable because virtually all of NASCAR’s meaningful Saturday track activity takes place during the afternoon and early evening.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series opens its practice session at 2 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 3:05 p.m. ET.
Then the Cup Series takes over.
Cup practice is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET, with qualifying beginning at 5:35 p.m. ET. Those sessions will give teams their only opportunity to put cars on track before Sunday’s race.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series closes Saturday’s on-track schedule with the Focused Health 302 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
With temperatures pushing toward triple digits, teams won’t have to worry much about rain disrupting the schedule. Instead, the challenge will be navigating an extremely hot Las Vegas afternoon and understanding how the track changes as the sun begins to set.
Saturday, Oct. 3 NASCAR Schedule
- 2 p.m. ET: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice
- 3:05 p.m. ET: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying
- 4:30 p.m. ET: Cup Series practice
- 5:35 p.m. ET: Cup Series qualifying
- 7:30 p.m. ET: Focused Health 302
Sunday Forecast Looks Clear for the South Point 400
Race day doesn’t offer much relief.
The forecast for Sunday calls for mainly sunny skies and another high of 98 degrees, with ESE winds of 5 to 10 mph. Once again, the current chance of precipitation is 0%. Sunday night is expected to be clear with a low around 74 degrees.
The South Point 400 is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, which is 2:30 p.m. local time in Las Vegas.
That puts the start of the Cup race squarely in the afternoon heat.
It also creates an interesting variable for teams. Sunday’s race will begin during daylight before moving toward the evening, meaning track and ambient temperatures should change considerably over the course of 400 miles.
Unlike Kansas, however, NASCAR currently has plenty of reason for optimism that the full weekend schedule will go off as planned.
There is no rain in the current Saturday or Sunday forecast, and neither day carries a meaningful precipitation threat. Instead, extreme heat looks like the weather story to watch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The forecast can still change before cars hit the track Saturday, but for now, NASCAR’s first October weekend looks hot, sunny and dry.
NASCAR Las Vegas Weather Forecast: Heat Takes Center Stage for Chase Weekend