The Brickyard 400 - a crown jewel race in the NASCAR Cup Series. Drivers always circle this event when looking at the schedule, but they will face some uncertainty this season due to the weather forecast.
According to WeatherUnderground, the race weekend could see some disruptions due to inclement weather in Indiana. The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies throughout Sunday with a high of 88 degrees. Unfortunately, it also calls for scattered thunderstorms from 8 a.m. ET until 7 p.m. ET.
The weather forecast also calls for a 33% chance of rain at 2 p.m. ET, which is the scheduled start of the TNT race broadcast.
Weather has affected NASCAR events throughout the years, so this is nothing new for the Cup Series teams. However, Indianapolis Motor Speedway does not have lights.
This track does not host night races, so NASCAR will not be able to delay the start of the race until late in the afternoon if the inclement weather hits the track. It would have to potentially delay the crown jewel race to Monday, which would hurt ratings and cost teams more money.
How does Monday's weather forecast compare? It has slightly more favorable conditions. WeatherUnderground calls for scattered thunderstorms between 4 and 10 a.m. ET. However, the forecast then calls for mostly sunny skies for the rest of the day.
While this forecast is not ideal, it has actually improved as the week has progressed. WeatherUnderground previously called for thunderstorms on all three days that NASCAR had planned to compete.
The Friday forecast now calls for partly cloudy skies, a high of 90 degrees, and a 24% chance of rain. This sets up a scenario where the ARCA Menards Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams complete their respective races at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park without issue.
The Saturday forecast, for comparison, calls for a mix of sunny and cloudy skies. The high should be around 89 degrees. The weather forecast calls for a 24% chance of rain throughout the day. The Xfinity Series and Cup Series teams should be able to complete their respective on-track sessions as planned.