The Ally 400 Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway will start earlier than expected on June 26. NASCAR has moved up the time due to concerns of a storm moving in and causing a delay.
The sanctioning body announced the news hours prior to the 17th race of the regular season. The command to start engines will take place at 5:01 p.m. ET, and the green flag will wave at 5:11 p.m. ET. NBC will then provide coverage as the drivers try to complete 300 laps around the 1.33-mile concrete track before heavy rainfall brings out the red flag.
Skies are holding… 👀
Grammy-winning Christian recording artist Zach Williams will perform the invocation prior to the Ally 400 Cup Series race. Reyna Roberts will then perform the national anthem while continuing an afternoon that already featured a pre-race concert. Country music star Kane Brown will then give the command for the drivers to start their engines.
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The Forecast Favors the Early Stages of the Ally 400
GettyRyan Blaney will try to secure some crucial points at Nashville Superspeedway.
Moving up the command the green flag by 12 minutes is not a major move, but it could have an impact on whether the drivers complete the full race. The forecast actually calls for only a 20% chance of precipitation at the start of the Ally 400, per Weather Underground.
The forecast significantly changes heading into the evening. The chance of precipitation rises to 54% at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local time). It then drastically increases to 91% at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET, which will only extend any possible storm delays that may occur.
If there is an extensive red flag, there is still a chance that Cup Series drivers will be able to complete the full race. The chance of precipitation drops to 70% at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. local) before dropping to 60% at 11 p.m. ET (10 p.m. local).
Nashville Superspeedway has lights, so the drivers would be able to complete the full race if necessary. Though there will still be concerns throughout the afternoon and into the evening about possible delays or postponements.
Rainfall Played a Different Role on a Different Day
The weather played a minor role on June 25, a day that featured qualifying sessions for both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series drivers, as well as a 188-lap race. A sizable storm passed through the area right as the second round of Cup Series qualifying was set to begin, which brought an early end to the session.
NASCAR set the starting lineup using its formula and put Denny Hamlin on the pole after he posted the fastest lap during the first round. Joey Logano joined him on the front row after posting the fastest lap during his round of qualifying.
The front of the pack features some heavy-hitters. Teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott make up the second row while Sonoma winner Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney sit on the third row. Ross Chastain, Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, and Martin Truex Jr. round out the top 10 of the starting lineup.
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NASCAR Makes Nashville Schedule Change Amid Storm Concerns