Atlanta Motor Speedway has offered a “Perfect Race Weather Guarantee the past two seasons. The guarantee states that if the temperature doesn’t get above 50 degrees, or if the event is cancelled or postponed, and your ticket is not scanned you could get some kind of a refund. The first two seasons the weather delivered on the guarantee, but 2018 may be Atlanta’s first challenge.
Is Atlanta Motor Speedway’s ‘Perfect Race Weather Guarantee’ in jeopardy?
The race weekend starts off promising on Friday with a mix of sunshine and clouds and warm afternoon temperatures near 80 degrees. Into Saturday, a cold front gets closer and as it approaches the threat of showers and storms increases. I’d say Saturday is mostly dry and odds of racing the Camping World Truck Series Active Pest Control 200 and the Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 is around 60 to 70 percent.
The main weather concern is on Sunday for the Monster Energy Cup Series Quiktrip 500. A cold front will continue to push into northern Georgia Sunday morning and looks to reach the Atlanta area by midday or early afternoon where it will then stall. There’s still some question on how soon rain arrives in the Atlanta area, but right now the forecast is for midday to early afternoon, just in time for the race. While Atlanta Motor Speedway wont see temps drop below 50 degress, it will be rain that challenges the “Perfect Race Weather Guarantee.”
The current odds of racing the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 is around 30-35 percent. It will come down to timing of the rain arrival. While not very optimistic there is still a chance; I’ve seen worse forecasts on Friday be raced on Sunday.
What about Monday? That’s the question I am getting on social media. Right now it would be an afternoon race on Monday, maybe evening. Just like Sunday it comes down to timing of when the front moves out taking the rain with it.
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All times ET
FRIDAY:
10 a.m. — Xfinity series practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 70
11 a.m. — Truck series practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 72
Noon — Cup series practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 76
1:30 p.m. — Xfinity series practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 78
2:30 p.m. — Truck series practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 79
3:30 p.m. — Xfinity series final practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
4:30 p.m. — Truck series final practice
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
5:45 p.m. — Cup series qualifying
Forecast: Partly sunny
Winds: South 5-10 mph
Temperature: 77
SATURDAY:
9:15 a.m. — Xfinity series qualifying
Forecast: Mostly cloudy - chance of a shower
Winds: South 5-15 mph
Temperature: 61
10:40 a.m. — Truck series qualifying
Forecast: Mostly cloudy - chance of a shower
Winds: South 5-15 mph
Temperature: 67
Noon — Cup series final practice
Forecast: Mostly cloudy - chance of a shower
Winds: South 5-15 mph
Temperature: 72
2 p.m. — Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 Race
Forecast: Mostly cloudy - chance of a shower
Winds: South 5-15 mph
Temperature: 78
4:30 p.m. — Camping World Truck Series Active Pest Control 200
Forecast: Mostly cloudy - chance of a shower
Winds: South 5-15 mph
Temperature: 78
SUNDAY
1:30 — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 pre-race
Forecast: Cloudy - showers likely, possible thunder
Winds: SW 5-15 mph
Temperature: 70
2:30 p.m. — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 race
Forecast: Cloudy - showers likely, possible thunder
Winds: SW 5-15 mph
Temperature: 70
3:30 p.m. — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 race
Forecast: Cloudy - showers likely, possible thunder
Winds: SW 5-15 mph
Temperature: 71
4:30 p.m. — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 race
Forecast: Cloudy - showers likely, possible thunder
Winds: SW 5-15 mph
Temperature: 70
5:30 p.m. — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 race
Forecast: Cloudy - showers likely, possible thunder
Winds: SW 5-15 mph
Temperature: 69
6:30 p.m. — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 race
Forecast: Cloudy - showers likely, possible thunder
Winds: SW 5-15 mph
Temperature: 68
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