It’s a triple-header weekend for the NASCAR National Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. Poor weather has not factored into race day since the Truck Series race in Las Vegas. Will NASCAR’s hot streak continue this weekend?
Bristol Motor Speedway opened in 1961 and welcomed the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time that same season. Its concrete oval is unlike any other in NASCAR, and its 0.533-mile high banked construction has created high tensions between drivers throughout the years.
The NASCAR Cup Series has raced twice yearly at Bristol since 1961. The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced twice yearly from 1982 to 2020 and is doing so again this season for the first time since. This season is the second time (first in 2024) the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will race twice a year at the track.
BMS is no stranger to weather-affected race days. The Bristol Spring race has an interesting weather history, particularly of the last 22 races at the track, five of which have seen some form of bad weather during the spring.
Friday, April 11 Weather Guard Truck Race on FS1 [TV] & NASCAR Radio Network [Radio] – 7:00 PM
Before the Race (3:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 57°F at 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Precipitation: 56% Chance From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM (Rain Likely)
Wind: 9 mph From the NW
During the Race (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
Temperature: Drops From 56°F at 7:00 PM to 50°F by 10:00 PM
Precipitation: Chance Drops From 56% to 21% by 9:00 PM (Rain Becomes Slight Chance)
Wind: 9 to 6 mph, Shifting N to NW
After the Race (10:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Temperature: 50°F at 10:00 PM, Drops to 48°F by 11:00 PM
Precipitation: 21% Chance (Slight Chance of Rain Continues)
Wind: Around five mph From the NW
Saturday, April 12 Xfinity Series SciAps 300 on the CW [TV] & PRN [Radio] – 5:00 PM
Before the Race (11:30 AM – 5:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 54°F at 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Precipitation: 19% Chance From 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Then 16% Through 5:00 PM (Slight Chance of Rain)
Wind: 7 to 10 mph From the NW, Gusts of 18 mph at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
During the Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
Temperature: Steady Around 54°F Through 6:00 PM, Then Dips to 52°F by 8:00 PM
Precipitation: 16% Chance Through 7:00 PM, Drops to 6% by 8:00 PM (Slight Chance of Rain Early)
Wind: 10 to 7 mph From the NW
After the Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Temperature: Drops From 52°F at 8:00 PM to 45°F by 11:00 PM
Precipitation: 6% Chance Throughout (Dry Conditions Expected)
Wind: 7 to 3 mph From the NW
Sunday, April 13 Food City 500 on FS1 [TV] & PRN [Radio] – 3:00 PM
Before the Race (12:00 PM – 3:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 61°F at 3:00 PM
Precipitation: 5% to 6% Chance Throughout (Dry Conditions Expected)
Wind: 6 to 9 mph From the West
During the Race (3:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
Temperature: Peaks at 62°F at 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM, Slight Dip to 60°F by 7:00 PM
Precipitation: 6% Chance Throughout (Dry Conditions Expected)
Wind: 9 to 6 mph From the West
After the Race (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
Temperature: Falls From 60°F at 7:00 PM to 52°F by 10:00 PM
Precipitation: 3% Chance Throughout (Dry Conditions Expected)
Wind: 5 to 3 mph From the West-Southwest
Recent Weather Events at Bristol: 2024 Tire Wear?
The spring 2024 race at Bristol was held on Mar. 17 in rather odd weather conditions. The race temperature was colder than usual, and while fans figured it would lead to some interesting tire wear, what happened that day was something NASCAR has chased ever since.
Despite the NASCAR Next Gen car’s lackluster racing on short tracks, this race saw unprecedented tire wear, with the track caked in black and shreds of rubber. As short track aces soared under these conditions, Denny Hamlin navigated the track carefully and walked away a winner.
No one knows exactly how this happened, and all parties, the teams, NASCAR, media, and fans, were shocked by this race. It did not happen again in the fall despite a similar approach. Many wonder if it was the weather that played in, and if NASCAR can find the same conditions this weekend, we could get an answer to that part of this compounding mystery.
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
