NASCAR’s Kansas visit seems to be in shambles, as the weather has taken a massive toll on the upcoming weekend of racing. The warnings had come in early, and now, as a possible threat of a thunderstorm looms over the track on Friday, there is bad news for the fans.
Weather disrupts NASCAR’s Kansas weekend’s first day
In a social media update that the Kansas Speedway recently shared with its followers, they revealed that the grandstands have been closed for the fans on Friday, considering the weather disruptions.
“UPDATE: Due to the threat of severe weather, we will not be opening our grandstands this afternoon.”
UPDATE: Due to the threat of severe weather, we will not be opening our grandstands this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/iUHaSn44MH
— Kansas Speedway (@kansasspeedway) April 17, 2026
As per the current weather update, storms and rain are expected to continue all day till later in the evening. While the announcement from the Speedway only reveals that the fans will not be allowed in the grandstands, there is quite a high possibility that the track might not be prepared for the upcoming ARCA Menards Series events.
The practice and qualifying sessions for the series were scheduled for 5 pm and 6 pm; however, rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue until then. While the weather is expected to get much calmer at around 7 pm, just in time for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ practice session, there is a chance that the track might still not be prepared.
Moreover, if the authorities plan to go ahead with the ARCA events first, the NOAPS practice session could be significantly delayed.
How does the rest of the weekend look in Kansas?
Saturday will be the most packed day of the entire weekend, with three events taking place. These include the ARCA Tide 150, the NOAPS Kansas Lottery 300, and the practice and qualifying sessions for the Cup Series.
Understandably, even the smallest of weather disruptions could hamper all the events across the three series. But as far as the weather prediction goes, this might not be the case tomorrow.
As per The Weather Channel, it would be a partly cloudy day with the maximum temperature peaking at 60°. The overall temperature will be cooler, making the racing a bit easier on the tires for the drivers. There will be around 40% humidity; however, the chances of any rain remain low.
Sunday, however, could be the hottest day of the weekend. The temperature is forecasted to peak at 73° right now, with similar levels of humidity as Saturday. With the Cup Series race scheduled for 2 pm, the drivers could face a very hot track, considering the absence of any cloud cover.
While NASCAR’s Kansas weekend might have started off rather rough because of the weather, the rest of the days look comparatively better. So, the fans won’t have to worry about missing out on the main events if the forecast remains accurate.
