How long is an average NASCAR rain delay?
Most sports can be played during inclement weather. However, with high speeds and plenty of risk, there is no driving in bad weather in NASCAR. Even just the slightest bit of dampness on a track can lead to dangerous wrecks and potentially even worse.
Rain delays are pretty common in NASCAR, as their are stops all over the country and some of the races that are on the schedule take place in a certain state’s highest average month for precipitation. Whether it’s a July race in Florida or a November race in Phoenix, the possibility of rain exists in many races.
Sometimes rain delays can be a real chore. With certain windows to get races in with meteorologists tracking the storms, it can lead to delays that last hours or even delaying races until the next day. In 2015, the July Daytona race was delayed until almost the middle of the night.
Not only does the rain have to let it up, but there has to be a clear enough window in the forecast for NASCAR to get a race in. If the weather clears up, but there’s another storm rolling in an hour, they aren’t going to get the race started.
It also takes time for the jet dryers to do their jobs on the track and completely dry the track, which can take a good chunk of time depending on the size of the previous storm. The average rain delay usually lasts around a couple of hours on a good day.
If NASCAR has ran 50 percent of the race, they can call the race and the driver that is in first will be named the winner. It all depends on the weather patterns and that ultimately determines the length of a rain delay.