NASCAR’s second Chase weekend could bring another weather variable into play, particularly during a busy Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway.
The Cup Series heads to Madison, Illinois, for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300, with practice and qualifying scheduled one day earlier. The latest forecast is far from a washout, but rain remains something to watch Saturday, when nearly the entire afternoon and evening is packed with on-track activity.
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Sunday’s outlook is more encouraging. While a stray shower or thunderstorm remains possible in the forecast provided, conditions are expected to be largely dry around World Wide Technology Raceway for the Cup Series race.
Will It Rain at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday?
Saturday carries the greater weather concern of NASCAR’s two-day race weekend.
The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of a rain shower and a high near 90 degrees, with light and variable winds. Saturday night is expected to remain partly cloudy with a low around 69 degrees.
Even a relatively brief shower could become significant because there is little downtime in Saturday’s NASCAR schedule.
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NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice begins at 1 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 2:05 p.m. ET. Cup Series practice is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, with qualifying at 4:35 p.m. ET. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series then closes the night with the Nu Way 225 at 7:30 p.m. ET. NASCAR’s official weekend schedule confirms the Saturday sessions and race.
That makes Saturday afternoon the weather window worth monitoring most closely. The forecast does not suggest an all-day rain event, but a shower at the wrong time could potentially interrupt practice, qualifying or track preparation.
NASCAR Weather Forecast for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300
The outlook improves for Sunday’s Cup Series race.
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The forecast calls for intervals of clouds and sunshine during the morning before cloud cover increases later in the day. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible, with a high around 86 degrees and northerly winds of 5 to 10 mph.
So there is some precipitation risk, but as of Thursday, there is nothing in the forecast suggesting NASCAR fans should expect a washout.
The Enjoy Illinois 300 is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET Sunday, giving NASCAR 240 laps and 300 miles to complete at the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway. USA Network will carry the race, with streaming available on HBO Max and radio coverage through MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. NASCAR lists the Enjoy Illinois 300 as the lone national-series race on Sunday’s schedule.
Weather will still be worth watching as the green flag approaches, particularly because NASCAR cannot race on a wet oval. But based on the current forecast, Saturday presents the more notable weather question while Sunday’s race outlook remains relatively favorable.
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That would be welcome news for the 16 Chase drivers entering the second race of NASCAR’s 10-race championship run.
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