As NASCAR competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, Hurricane Isaias is making its way through the southeastern United States. The NASCAR Cup Series' Bank of America 400 and the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series' Blue Cross NC 300 are set to race.
The storm made landfall at Destin, Florida, on Friday night as a Category 2 hurricane. With winds hovering around 110 miles per hour, it was fluctuating between a Category 2 and a Category 3. Category 2 hurricanes have winds of 96-110 miles per hour while Category 3 is the first rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to be considered "major." Hurricanes in that category have winds between 111-129 miles per hour and are projected to cause "devastating damage."
The NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series' Ecosave 200 raced on Friday, Oct. 9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, without interruption and Layne Riggs won. There was a public tribute to two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who died in May at 41 years old.
Other sports events, including the Alabama vs. Georgia college football game on Saturday, Oct. 10, could potentially be affected. As of Friday night, the rivalry matchup is still scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Is NASCAR weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway affected by Hurricane Isaias?
NASCAR moved up the times of practice and qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 10 for the NASCAR Cup Series' Bank of America 400. The sessions will now start two hours earlier than originally scheduled, with practice at 11 a.m. ET instead of 1 p.m. ET and qualifying at 12:05 p.m. ET instead of 2:05 p.m. ET.
The organization did the same for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series' Blue Cross NC 300 race. Practice is at 8:30 a.m. ET instead of 10:30 a.m. ET with qualifying at 9:35 a.m. ET instead of 11:35 a.m. ET.
NASCAR has not moved the time for the Cup Series race on Sunday, Oct. 11 and it is still scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET.
The Blue Cross NC 300 is also still planned to race at its original time of 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 10.
What is the schedule for the NASCAR race weekend in Charlotte?
Saturday, Oct. 10
- 8:30 a.m. ET – Practice: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (CW/ESPN+)
- 9:35 a.m. ET – Qualifying: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (CW/ESPN+)
- 11 a.m. ET – Practice: Cup Series (truTV/HBO Max)
- 12:05 p.m. ET – Qualifying: Cup Series (truTV/ HBO Max)
- 4 p.m. ET – Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series' Blue Cross NC 300 (The CW/ESPN Unlimited)
Sunday, Oct. 11
- 3 p.m. ET – Race: Cup Series' Bank of America 400 (USA Network)
This story will be updated if there are any schedule changes.
Week weather in Concord, North Carolina
According to the Weather Channel, there is a 100% chance of rain on Saturday, Oct. 10 in Concord, North Carolina, which is where Charlotte Motor Speedway is located. Sunday, Oct. 11 it is calling for rain early but the forecast indicates the conditions should be "mostly cloudy" with very little chance of rain around when the Cup Series race is supposed to start.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR weekend weather in Charlotte: Tracking Hurricane Isaias path, latest news
