NASCAR at Martinsville race day weather forecast: Is Sandy a NASCAR fan or not?

Martinsville Speedway appears to be nestled between a stalled cold front to the west and Hurricane Sandy to the east. What does this mean for today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race? It means we should be able to get the race in and completed with few, if any, interruptions.

Sandy will continue to move slowly northward during the day Sunday. This will bring a breezy northerly wind. Speeds will range between 10 to 20 mph with some gusts near 25 mph. Rain chances are minimal but there could be an isolated shower in the afternoon and I also expect pockets of drizzle through the morning.

Skies should be cloudy for the bulk of the day and temperatures will be in the low 60s through the afternoon. With the exception of wind, Martinsville Speedway feels very little effect from Sandy during the day today.

The above image is for Monday midday across the Mid-Atlantic and northeast. Weather conditions will be nasty from northern and eastern Virginia up through Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, New Jersey and the southern part of New England as Sandy prepares to make landfall Monday evening.

I bring this up not because it will impact today’s NASCAR race but it could have a major impact on fans going home from the race Monday. You probably have heard from the Weather Channel and various meteorologists that Sandy could very well be a “once-in-a-lifetime storm.” Is it hype? In my opinion, no.

Most meteorologists haven’t seen anything quite like this. We are breaking new ground on a storm like this and we want to make sure the public is safe and not take any chances downplaying the potential damage and impact this storm will have. If you’re going to the race and have to travel to the states I listed, I’d leave as soon as the race is over. You’ll still have some nasty weather to deal with but not to the magnitude if you wait to leave later.

Please follow me on Twitter @NASCAR_WXMAN and like me on Facebook. I plan on making updates on the race weather as well as on Sandy.

SUNDAY
12:30 p.m. EDT
Sprint Cup Pre-Race – Cloudy, breezy, slight chance of a shower – temp: 62
1:30 p.m. EDT
Sprint Cup Race – Cloudy, breezy, slight chance of a shower – temp: 63
2:30 p.m. EDT
Sprint Cup Race – Cloudy, breezy, slight chance of a shower – temp: 63
3:30 p.m. EDT
Sprint Cup Race – Cloudy, breezy, slight chance of a shower – temp: 63
4:30 p.m. EDT
Sprint Cup Race – Cloudy, breezy, slight chance of a shower – temp: 62
5:30 p.m. EDT
Sprint Cup Race – Cloudy, breezy, slight chance of a shower – temp: 61