The NASCAR Playoffs are trying to stay ahead of Mother Nature by moving up the race at Charlotte by an hour, though it still might not be enough to dodge all the rain.
It’s already been a rainy weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Bank of America 500 would have been a dicey proposition if it began at its scheduled time of 2:00 p.m. today. So NASCAR has taken action to try to ensure we get at least a good deal of racing action in.
Specifically, the Bank of America 500 will start at 1:00 p.m. today, an hour earlier than planned. This should help avoid the worst of the incoming weather in the Charlotte area, which calls for scattered thunderstorms from about 3:00 p.m. on.
According to the Weather Channel, we can expect there to be at least a chance of thunderstorms beginning at about 3:00 p.m., with increasing likelihood all the way through the 8:00 p.m. hour and then some chance for more after that. The entire south is expecting rain as part of a big system driven by Hurricane Nate.
A NASCAR race needs to reach its halfway point to be considered an official race, so kicking off the Bank of America 500 shortly after 1 o’clock gives it a definite chance to get that far as long as there aren’t too many cautions and the rain doesn’t start falling right at 3 p.m. Still, it’s going to be a day where crew chiefs are watching the radar as well as the on-track action, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see some interesting strategy calls as a result.
Next: Bank of America 500: Starting grid, lineup for Charlotte
The other thing to take note of if you’re tuning in for the race from Charlotte today is that it airs on NBC, not NBCSN, one of four playoff races to do so. Enjoy the race, just don’t forget the green flag is dropping around 1:16 p.m. Eastern and not 2:16.