Charlotte Motor Speedway -
NASCAR RaceWeather Forecast
Notes from the Forecast Desk!
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Hurricane Isaias - 1 PM CDT, Fri Oct 9 update
Category 3 Hurricane Isaias heading for Evening Landfall, Fri Oct 9, 8 AM CT update
As of 1 PM CDT Friday, October 9, Hurricane Isaias remains a Category 3 major hurricane, centered approximately 145miles south of Pensacola, Florida. Maximum sustained winds remain at 120 mph, with higher gusts. Isaias is moving north-northeast at 16 mph toward the Gulf Coast.
The latest NHC discussion indicates that Isaias may remain a major hurricane through landfall Friday evening. Although stronger upper-level winds have developed, their alignment with the hurricane's movement is limiting their ability to weaken the storm. Landfall is expected along the western Florida Panhandle coast Friday evening, with Isaias potentially maintaining major hurricane strength until landfall.
Hurricane-force winds are expected to potentially extending 100 miles inland into southern Alabama. Damaging gusts could reach central Alabama and surrounding states, increasing the risk of widespread electrical outages and infrastructure damage. The tornado threat will also increase Friday afternoon, particularly east of the hurricane's center, before spreading farther inland Saturday.
A Hurricane Warning extends from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in the Florida Panhandle. Inland hurricane warnings and watches remain in effect across portions of southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle, including Hurricane Watches for Conecuh and Covington counties in Alabama.
Tropical Storm Warnings extend from the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line in Louisiana to just west of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and from east of the Bay/Gulf County line to the Aucilla River, Florida. Inland Tropical Storm Warnings cover additional portions of southwestern and south-central Alabama, southeastern Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. Inland Tropical Storm Watches extend into additional areas of Alabama and Mississippi, as well as portions of western Georgia.
A Storm Surge Warning remains in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River eastward to the Suwannee River, Florida. A Storm Surge Watch continues southward from the Suwannee River to Yankeetown, Florida.
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.
2 PM ET update (Fri Oct 9): As Hurricane #Isaias accelerates towards the Gulf coast, part of our attention is on @CLTMotorSpdwy. With the storm earlier “arrival”, the rain’s timing for the #NASCAR weekend has also shifted.
The highest rain chances are now Saturday afternoon, continuing into midday Sunday. Rain chcs drop Sunday to around 30%.
There is also a larger public safety issue: 2 to 4 inches of rain are possible, along with winds gusting to 40 mph.
So yes, I’m saying there’s a chance. We will need to be patient & understanding if (when) the schedule shifts.
NASCAR Weekend Schedule at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Friday, October 9
2:05–3:00 PM — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying
4:40 PM — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Introductions
5:22 PM — Green Flag: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race (134 laps / 201 miles) - FS1
Saturday, October 10 (Updated 2:15 PM EDT)
8:30–9:20 AM — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice
9:35–10:30 AM— NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying
11:00 –11:50 AM— NASCAR Cup Series Practice
12:05–1:00 PM — NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
3:25 PM — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Driver Introductions
4:05 PM — Green Flag: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race (200 laps / 300 miles) - CW
Sunday, October 11
2:35 PM — NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions
3:19 PM — Green Flag: 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.