NASCAR moves up Atlanta Cup race start time due to rain threat

HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 24: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Ruud Toyota, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Discount Tire Ford, lead the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24, 2018 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)

Atlanta’s “Perfect Race Weather” guarantee may come into play Sunday.  Saturday, NASCAR and Atlanta Motor Speedway officials moved up the start time for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race because of the threat of rain.

The green flag for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 was 2:16 p.m. ET. But that start time has been rescheduled for one hour, 10 minutes earlier, 1:06 p.m. ET.  Driver introductions will happen at 12:15 p.m. ET. The prerace activities have also been moved up.

According to the National Weather Service there is an 80 percent chance of rain Sunday.  That rain could last until at least midday Monday.  The last time a race at Atlanta was postponed it actually was delayed until Tuesday September 6, 2011. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.