What’s Happening?
It’s official: After some touch-and-go rain showers earlier in the day, the bad weather set in just in time for the previously scheduled Xfinity and Truck Series practice and qualifying. As per the NASCAR rule book, the series will be set up via the metric.
With weather delays seemingly plaguing the sport for the 2023 season, it has caused quite the stir amongst fans as they fear the weekend’s events might be brought into question.
You Need To Know:
- With spotty showers in the Atlanta area spotted on the radar, the rest of the weekend’s events (such as the Truck/Xfinity doubleheader and Cup qualifying and practice tomorrow) might be in question as well.
- Since the Xfinity and Truck qualifying sessions were washed out, the field will be decided by the mysterious metric score. That being the case, Sammy Smith will roll off from the pole position for the Xfinity race while Zane Smith will start from the point in the Truck race.
- No NASCAR fan likes rainouts or rain delays and with the weekend forecast looking rather gloomy, many fans on Twitter are not hesitant to share their displeasure with the world.
With the qualifying metric setting the starting lineup, some superspeedway hopefuls will find themselves in tough starting spots right from the jump. JRM driver, Brandon Jones, who was a contender most of the day in Daytona, for example, will start in the 21st spot. 2022 Talladega runner-up, Jeffery Earnhardt, will start five rows behind him in 31st.
This certainly isn’t anything, teams and fans alike, anybody was hoping to see going into the third ever race at the newly reconstructed Atlanta Superspeedway.
Kaitlyn Vincie, however, gives NASCAR fans hope, reporting that the weather for the rest of the weekend looks great as she breaks the news on Twitter!
The bad news: No Trucks or Xfinity qualifying today in Atlanta due to rain.
— Kaitlyn Vincie (@kaitlynvincie) March 17, 2023
The good news: The weather looks great for tomorrow and Sunday.#NASCARonFS1 | https://t.co/sxLeeayVZH pic.twitter.com/PNxCBbueYv
The Main Character
Mother Nature is really the one spoiling everybody’s fun in Hotlanta and making tomorrow more difficult for some of the teams starting in the back. The good news is we should be all clear to race on Saturday and Sunday!
Views from a rainy NASCAR Cup Series garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway. #HotPass pic.twitter.com/QtcRv3Z5Ea
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 17, 2023
Around the Garage
Here, Bayley Currey tweets the Craftsman Truck Series lineup for Saturday’s race. He’ll be rolling off 30th and, as he states, while it isn’t ideal, he expects to be up front in the mix by the race’s end.
Not necessarily ideal, but we should have the @Unishippers @WWEXRacing machine where it belongs soon enough https://t.co/8KP3ZqVLz1
— Bayley Currey 🇺🇸 (@BayleyCurrey) March 17, 2023
Hill Motorsports reports to their friends that the No. 60 machine will roll off 18th after a wet day in Hotlanta.
A wet day in Atlanta has canceled qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s race. That means @timmyhillracer will take the green from 18th in the @unitsstorage No. 56! pic.twitter.com/fpzEbZ52p2
— Hill Motorsports (@TeamHill56) March 17, 2023
The rain didn’t bother Joe Gibbs Racing too much. While Sammy Smith almost certainly would have rather been out there and in the car today, starting from the pole will get his race off to a great start.
𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥: @sammysmithSS
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) March 17, 2023
Sammy gets his first career @NASCAR_Xfinity pole after rain cancels qualifying. @PilotFlyingJ | #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/8WoaIjPach
Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 16 Tundra for HRE, will roll off 13th Saturday. Not too, too bad.
The rain was the lucky one today at @ATLMotorSpdwy ☘️
— Tyler Ankrum (@TylerAnkrum) March 17, 2023
Qualifying for the #Fr8208 is canceled. Our No. 16 LIUNA Toyota Tundra will line-up 13th on Saturday. #NASCAR #LIUNA #YourUnionWorkforceSolution #TeamToyota #HRE #Fr8208 #Atlanta pic.twitter.com/K1UiD8z1zs
Rackley W. A. R. updates their fans on the situation down in Atlanta. Their driver, Matt DiBenedetto, will cap off the top-10 starters.
Rain prevails over @NASCAR_Trucks qualifying today at @ATLMotorSpdwy . Here is tomorrow’s starting lineup: https://t.co/LdGV8CgTFo pic.twitter.com/KhTutWBNEI
— Rackley W.A.R. (@Rackley_WAR) March 17, 2023
From The Officials
Both the Xfinity and Truck Series Twitter pages broke the news, sharing the official starting lineups.
NEWS: Qualifying for Saturday's #XfinitySeries race at @ATLMotorSpdwy has been cancelled today due to weather.
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) March 17, 2023
The lineup will be set per the rule book. pic.twitter.com/BaCKWLOaWB
NEWS: Qualifying for Saturday's race at @ATLMotorSpdwy has been cancelled this afternoon due to weather.
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) March 17, 2023
The lineup will be set per the rule book.
In The Stands
John Malone of Twitter states that he believes this is going to be a wet season for NASCAR.

Ryan begs the question…what happened to full rain covers?

Jason R jokes that even a track stationed on the moon would still somehow attract rain.

Unfortunately, it’s one of those unavoidable combinations.

From The Pressbox
As rain starts to fall, trucks that have passed tech parked by the haulers. @bobpockrass @NASCAR_Trucks @ATLMotorSpdwy pic.twitter.com/dieVYGGX5T
— Anthony Nagel (@Anthony_Nagel_) March 17, 2023
Xfinity lineup should be reverse of qualifying order. Believe the 74 is the DNQ based on owner points. pic.twitter.com/GVJ2jx3ynf
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 17, 2023
NASCAR Truck Series qualifying has been canceled due to rain at Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying is scheduled for 4:45p ET.
— Kaitlyn Vincie (@kaitlynvincie) March 17, 2023
Enjoy last year's Atlanta Cup race as we hope for dry conditions at the track!#NASCARonFS1 | https://t.co/sxLeeayVZH pic.twitter.com/6ewol9fRdO
We at the Daily Downforce are hopeful for clear, sunny skies tomorrow and Sunday. Rain, rain, go away!