Watkins Glen International, the renowned racetrack of New York, is set to host the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs opening round. This iconic track, known for its challenging layout and thrilling races, will be the stage for intense competition as drivers strive to secure their place in the championship. This year, the annual race has been rescheduled to September for the first time, making it a pivotal event in the NASCAR playoff series.

However, Watkins Glen does not have that bad a history with Mother Nature. Only one out of nine races has been weather-impacted; 1/9 (11%) has been weather-delayed, 0/9 has been postponed, and 0/9 has been weather-shortened. However, this season we have seen how rain and road course are a chaotic combination. The Chicago street race is one example, where Alex Bowman took the win after a chaotic race. However, there is a recent weather update for the Watkins Glen track bringing good news.

Mother Nature is going easy on Watkins Glen

If you remember the Watkins Glen race of 2022, you remember how rain turned out for drivers. The race faced a significant delay because of lightning, pushing back the start by 90 minutes. When the drivers finally took to the track, it was drenched, posing a challenge for visibility. In a more recent example, the recent IndyCar race at the Glen was also delayed by six hours, accompanied by some scattered showers in between the races. However, the weather conditions for this NASCAR weekend are sunnier.

According to Race Weather’s recent X post, we are set for a rain-free racing weekend at The Glen. In the post, they wrote,

1. On Friday, which is the ARCA race, it’s mostly sunny skies. With temperatures reaching a high of 80 degrees and a low of around 58°F. More motorsports action will continue on Saturday with the Xfinity race.
2. The Xfinity race is predicted to be mostly sunny skies with a temperature reaching 79 degrees, and the track has no chance of rain. The temperature would not see a massive fall, as the lowest it will go is 61 degrees.
3. Lastly, Sunday will also be sunny as the second NASCAR Cup Series playoff race kicks off. The temperature will be at a high of 80 degrees, and there is no chance of rain. The track conditions for the race are expected to be favorable, with warmer temperatures and ample grip for the cars. As the event begins at 3 p.m. local time, the temperature may gradually decrease throughout the race. The lowest predicted temperature at the Cup race is 59 degrees. Speaking of conditions, they aren’t as favorable for another motorsports event scheduled for the weekend.

The entire weekend’s racing event is at risk of being disrupted due to inclement weather, primarily caused by Storm Francine. Friday is expected to experience significant rainfall and thunderstorms, with potential flooding and even isolated tornadoes. While the storm is anticipated to move away by Saturday, the weather conditions are unlikely to improve significantly. A qualifying day is also forecast to have thunderstorms and showers, with an 88% chance of rain. Although Sunday’s rain probability is lower at 40%, there’s still a risk of localized thunderstorms that could impact the race.

Although NASCAR does not have as many unknowns on the weather front as IndyCar, racing is still going to be unpredictable as Goodyear comes with a new tire compound.

Goodyear’s new tire compound at Watkins Glen

Goodyear’s new tire is expected to degrade significantly during a race, losing up to three seconds of performance over time. This rapid tire degradation will probably force teams to adjust their pit strategies, potentially leading to more frequent pit stops and altered race tactics.

Speaking on the expected tire falloff, Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing, said,

These aren’t the only changes, the track itself has changed too. NASCAR has modified the curbing at the “Bus Stop” section of the track to reduce the severity of the bumps and improve driver safety. The decision to make this change was influenced by feedback from drivers who experienced excessive G forces when going over the curbs in the previous year’s race using the Next-Gen car. By flattening the curbing and installing shorter rumble strips, NASCAR aims to create a smoother and safer racing surface. Ryan Blaney is positive about the changes.

Ahead of the race weekend, Blaney said,

Overall, racing is going to be exciting on The Glen. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.