Charlotte Motor Speedway -
NASCAR RaceWeather Forecast
Notes from the Forecast Desk!
I’m a finalist in iHeartRadio’s Top Host contest!
Vote daily: https://www.tophost.org/2026/aaron-studwell-ph-d
My show is The Sports Doctor — Sports Talk Without the Stress: great stories, different perspectives, and conversations with the people who make sports compelling.
Voting runs through Thursday, Oct. 15. You can vote once per day for free. Additional votes require a donation, but I’m absolutely not expecting anyone to do that — your daily vote and support mean a lot.
Tropical Storm Isaias - 10 AM CDT, Thu Oct 8 update
Hurricane Isaias Strengthens as Gulf Coast Landfall Nears
Hurricane Isaias continues strengthening over the Gulf of Mexico, with sustained winds of 85 mph late Thursday morning. Further intensification is expected, with winds potentially reaching 110 mph Friday before landfall along the northern Gulf Coast Friday evening.
Dangerous storm surge, damaging winds and torrential rainfall threaten southern Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Rainfall totals of 3–7 inches, locally approaching 10 inches, could produce significant flooding.
As Isaias moves inland Saturday, damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall will spread across portions of the Southeast, with lingering impacts potentially reaching the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Sunday.
Forecast Discussion for NASCAR Weekend
Dry weather is expected to continue through Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway as high pressure remains in control across the Carolinas. Temperatures will remain above normal through the end of the workweek, although a weak cold front slipping southward Friday may trim temperatures slightly compared with Thursday. No significant weather impacts are expected for Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series practice, qualifying or 5:00 PM race.
With Isaias’ landfall now forecast for Friday evening, this increases the risk for rain showers and isolated thunderstorms for Saturday afternoon. This could impact on-track activities earlier than thought yesterday. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race is scheduled for 4:00 PM Saturday.
Because of course, Sunday has the greatest risk for rain. Moist tropical air interacting with a developing cold-air-damming wedge could produce widespread rain across the Charlotte region. Rainfall is expected to continue into Sunday evening. The Cup Series race is scheduled for 3:00 PM Sunday.
Rain should begin tapering Sunday night into Monday as the system lifts toward the Ohio Valley. Monday may still begin scattered showers, depending on the eventual track and speed.
RaceWeather confidence: High for dry conditions Friday; moderate for increasing rain chances Saturday night; lower confidence on the exact timing and duration of Sunday’s rain.
NASCAR Weekend Schedule at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Friday, October 9
1:00–1:50 PM — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Practice
2:05–3:00 PM — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying
4:40 PM — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Introductions
5:00 PM — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race (134 laps / 201 miles) - FS1
Saturday, October 10
10:30–11:20 AM — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice
11:35 AM–12:30 PM — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying
1:00–1:50 PM — NASCAR Cup Series Practice
2:05–3:00 PM — NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
3:25 PM — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Driver Introductions
4:00 PM — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race (200 laps / 300 miles) - CW
Sunday, October 11
2:35 PM — NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions
3:00 PM — NASCAR Cup Series Race (267 laps / 400.5 miles) - USA
(All times are EDT)
More about Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, 13 mi (21 km) outside Charlotte. The complex features a 1.5 mi (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, and the Bank of America Roval 400. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports with Greg Walter as track president.
The 2,000 acres (810 ha) complex also features a state-of-the-art 0.25 mi (0.40 km) drag racing strip, ZMAX Dragway. It is the only all-concrete, four-lane drag strip in the United States and hosts NHRA events. Alongside the drag strip is a state-of-the-art clay oval that hosts dirt racing including the World of Outlaws finals among other popular racing events.
To learn about sponsorship opportunities in NHRA and NASCAR at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit EC Sports Management.
Click here to contact their sales team.