NASCAR is an unpredictable sport. And, adding to the uncertainty is the weather. It’s obvious that racing on wet tracks is a risky affair, and that has caused many delays and even postponed races in the past, and is pretty much what happened in Michigan, as there was a two-hour delay before the drivers drove up to the starting grid.

During race weekends, it’s not only the teams who are checking the weather conditions but even fans. It’s all about being able to enjoy the race. Knowing if it will rain on race day is one of the most important forms of data that teams need to take into consideration, and they always do. Even drivers are known to pull out their phones first thing in the morning to check the forecast, or at least that’s the case for Brad Keselowski‘s star teammate, Chris Buescher.

Chris Buescher loses faith in weather apps

When Chris Buescher checked his phone in Michigan, he saw that there wouldn’t be rain around the track. Buescher first took to X before the race, where he posted, “If you ask me about getting today’s race in, I’m going to tell you I’ve got a free weather app on my phone that says we are good to go and I’m trusting that #nascar.” But life is what happened to his plans, as despite his weather app giving him the green, it started to rain right around when the race was to start. 

There was a 2-hour delay in the lights going out, and many had already started to believe that the race would be postponed. Before the race could start, the media was interviewing drivers around the circuit, and that’s when the RFK Racing driver got busy updating his X profile.

Chris Buescher started a thread on his post as he made another tweet saying, “Update I’m deleting the app.” Yes, the app failed him. We received this update before the race started, and a user even suggested the No. 17 Mustang driver to use two different apps and make a judgment.

Update I’m deleting the app. https://t.co/uWnVNl7RTM

Chris Buescher (@Chris_Buescher) August 18, 2024

However, it looks like this advice was not what Buescher resonated with because, by then, he had already lost hope in weather apps. A witty reply came from Buescher’s side as he replied to the comment, saying, “It sounds like I’ll be disappointed twice as much.”

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The FireKeepers Casino 400 faced a major setback due to rain, which led to the race being rescheduled to 11 a.m. ET on Monday. With no lights at the Michigan International Speedway, the downpour became a serious concern. Many feared that as daylight dwindled, it would be impossible for the drivers to safely navigate the track, and fans would miss out on the full race experience.

Adding to the challenge, even if the rain stopped, officials would still need time to dry the track—a daunting task on the two-mile Michigan circuit. The drying process alone would take around two hours, eating away at the remaining daylight. But despite these hurdles, the crew managed to pull everything together just in time, allowing the race to fire up as planned.

Kyle Larson bolted off the line, holding the lead with blistering speeds of over 200 mph on the straights and around 180 mph in the turns. Alongside started Denny Hamlin. But as Larson and Hamlin battled side by side on Lap 36, Bubba Wallace dove low, making a gutsy move to pass them both.

Just a few laps later, Hamlin lost control while trying to chase down Wallace, bringing out the caution flag. Wallace then opted for a pit stop, sacrificing potential stage points to gear up for a winning strategy on fuel and tires. This opened the door for Ryan Blaney, who seized the moment to clinch the first stage victory after 45 laps. Next, on the 51st lap drivers were again back to the pit lane, and will resume the race at 11 a.m. ET.

With only three races left in the regular season—Michigan, Daytona, and Darlington—the playoff picture is heating up. Twelve drivers have already locked in their spots, leaving just four open slots for those still battling to cut.

After the FireKeepers Casino 400 wraps up on Monday, teams will have a quick turnaround as they head straight to Daytona Beach for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. It’s crunch time, and every lap counts as these drivers fight for their playoff lives.