NASCAR drivers made history on Sunday afternoon with a race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (part road course, part oval). They had to put rain tires on the stock cars in order to make the race safer for everyone involved. By doing so, the teams officially marked the first time that the Cup Series incorporated rain tires during an event, playoffs or regular season.
Sunday’s race was not the first time that NASCAR made rain tires available for the Charlotte Roval and the drivers. Racing’s governing body made the change to allow the alternate setup back in 2018, but the pit crews never had to use the tires. This trend changed on Sunday with the concerning weather forecast due to Hurricane Delta. The drivers had to use their rain tires, their rear lights and a windshield wiper during the Bank of America Roval 400.
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.@KurtBusch is happy to be a part of @NASCAR history.
Rain tires are likely to be deployed for the first time in a Cup Series race today at 2:30P ET on @NBC. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/JmXdSSHRDi
— #NASCARPlayoffs on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 11, 2020
The rain was a major factor during Saturday’s Xfinity Series playoff race. Drivers used the rain tires but still struggled to find traction, often spinning out. Others hit pools of standing water and came to a complete stop. The race ultimately came to a stop with a red flag late due to the rainy conditions but later finished.
The Cup Series drivers faced similar issues on Sunday during the cutoff race due to a wet track. For example, championship contender Brad Keselowski tried to navigate a corner but slid out of control. His car did a complete 360-degree spin, crossed the track and came to a stop while several other cars raced past.
Drivers continued to struggle throughout the first two stages of Sunday’s race. Some drivers, such as Denny Hamlin, got stuck in the wet grass and had issues returning to the track. William Byron slid late during Stage 2, allowing Ryan Blaney to pass him and missing out on crucial points.
The track did ultimately began to dry during the later stages of the race. This change benefited some drivers while creating conversations on social media. Many fans said that they wanted to see the wet conditions continue while others said that racing in the rain is “just awful.” Regardless of whether they appreciated the rain, the fans did celebrate a historic day in NASCAR’s top level of racing.
