Persistent thunderstorms could turn Bristol Motor Speedway’s Sunday afternoon Sprint Cup race into a night event.
Speedway general manager Jerry Caldwell issued a statement Sunday morning saying the speedway gates would open at 9 a.m. ET as scheduled and the track is “moving forward with events as planned.”
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“We have a full day of activities in the works,” read the statement. “We will make every effort to accomplish the full day of events on the same day as scheduled, and if needed, we’ll turn on the lights. Come on out and join us for a great day at track.”
The weather has been one of the big topics this weekend at Bristol, with forecasts calling for rain throughout Sunday. The Food City 500 is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET. Weather.com projects an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms at 1 p.m., and calls for anywhere from a 50 to 70 percent chance of thunderstorms through 8 p.m.
There is growing speculation the race will be postponed until Monday. The forecast for Monday is more favorable, although there is a 50 percent chance of rain beginning around noon.
Fans can find updates on the speedway schedule at BristolMotorSpeedway.com or on Twitter at @BMSUpdates.
Bristol Motor Speedway already hosts one night race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit, in August.