Having dodged rain and other inclement weather for the Daytona 500, NASCAR headed north this week into the cold.
Wait, aren't the races at Atlanta? Yep, and Sunday's Sprint Cup race might well run into precipitation problems.
Brian Neudorff, a NASCAR weather observer, says the biggest problem could be drizzle. It's harder to predict than rain, but just as much a problem for racing, if not more. And guess what Sunday's forecast includes? If you didn't say drizzle, go to the hauler.
Friday's qualifying for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 might go off under the best weather conditions of the weekend. Trouble is, a mild and sunny day will lead to a cold night as temperatures head toward freezing.
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Saturday won't be bad, with cloudy skies in the forecast. But while the afternoon's Xfinity Series race will start with a high of 50 predicted, the evening's Camping World Truck Series race will have fans shivering.
A cold track means trouble for stockcars, which don't stick to the surface as well as when it's warm. Cars won't quite be skating, but neither will they handle turns as well.
Considering the touch-and-go weather that skidded north of Atlanta this week, that's not bad.
Drivers will run under new NASCAR guidelines which reduce horsepower but areodynamic changes that will reduce downforce and grip.
Saturday races begin with the Hisense 250 in the Xfinity series at 2 p.m. ET. The Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 trucks race is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. ET green flag.
Sunday's Sprint Cup race won't be a warm experience unless fans bring blankets. With a 1:30 p.m. ET start expected, the race-time temperature is forecast to be in low-40s. And while the day should get warmer, rain enters the picture toward 4 p.m.
NASCAR got through cold days and nights at Daytona. Now, it figures to add wet to the challenge at Atlanta.
Glenn Burns, a meteorologist for WSB-TV in Atlanta, says things will be even worse in northeastern Georgia. Freezing rain is expected this weekend.
Just don't mention snow. It's not in the Atlanta forecast. Yet.