Weather could affect NASCAR qualifying today
A strong Pacific storm could put a damper on practice and qualifying for NASCAR Weekend.
With the National Weather Service forecasting up to a quarter-inch of rain in the Las Vegas Valley starting this afternoon, the Sprint Cup qualifying and practice runs could be in danger of being pushed back or even canceled.
“We will not practice or qualify on a wet track,” said Jeff Motley, spokesman for Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup has a policy in place for such an event, though.
If drivers are able to practice but qualifying is rained out, then the starting lineup will be determined by fastest practice speeds. If rain cancels both qualifying and practice runs, then the starting positions will be determined by the previous year’s points.
The first practice runs begin at noon today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and qualifying runs begin at about 3:40 p.m.
The rain is forecasted to hit sometime in the early afternoon, the NWS said.
Race days for both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series should see better weather, though, with the rain expecting to taper off by tonight. Strong winds of up to 30 mph are expected to last throughout the weekend.
The temperature shouldn’t drop too far, with the high today expected to hover around 57 degrees.
A winter weather advisory has been issued by the NWS for the Spring Mountains above 5,000 feet. Up to six inches of snowfall are expected in the area today.
Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.
