By: Tom Luttermoser Images Credit to left: SHR Right: Unknown
I think we can all agree that rain delays, rain breaks and rain shortened races drive us all just about nuts. I know I've attended as a fan and covered at least 3 of these such events, but the cool thing is that NASCAR agrees. Back in the day the sanctioning body has tested rain tires at short tracks and road courses only to adopt them to turn both left and right within the last few years in the Cup Series. It appears however, not for much longer. In 2021 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the opening few laps of the race, the leader Kyle Busch & Martin Truex Jr were taken out of the race due to a wet surface causing the duo as well as another car or two to make contact with the outside safer barrier. Since then, the conversation has been continued. In the middle of December however, it has become near public knowledge that NASCAR intends to (at least attempt) to keep rain tires on hand for a small handful of Non-road course tracks for the first time in the history of the sport. They are referring to it as a "wet weather option" consisting of Rain tires, rear rain lights, the wiper, rain guards behind the rear wheels and more for up to 15 different events in 2023. Bozi Tatarevic with Road & Track (I recommend giving him a follow on Twitter) posted the Cup Series packages including the engine, break, aero package and tire for each track (Posted below). It showed that some of the tracks we can possibly expect to see this wet weather package are New Hampshire, Martinsville, Phoenix, LA, Richmond and North Wilkesboro.
Now, this will not be a package for heavier rains like we've seen run in at Road Courses, but more for simply a damp or wet race track with little to no active rain. Standing water will still bring a caution/ red flag or postpone a race due to the danger of hitting it at speed.
These changes could not only help NASCAR keep the races in the allotted broadcast time slots, but also the fans watching or in attendance from having to make changes to schedules or watch at work on Mondays (I've never done that...) or miss the race all together.
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