(WGHP) – This weekend marks a historic return to Bowman Gray Stadium with the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race on Sunday at 8 p.m., NASCAR’s first return to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium since 1971.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the forecast for the exciting weekend.
The first event kicks off at 9 a.m. on Friday with the hauler parade. If you’re planning on heading to the event on Research Parkway, you’ll want to dress warmly as temperatures will start off in the upper 40s and low 50s. The good news is, rain should hold off for us on Friday morning leaving us with mostly cloudy skies and breezy south winds around 10 to 15 mph.
By the end of the hauler parade, temperatures will be in the upper 50s and winds will be gusting to nearly 35 mph.
While rain holds off Friday morning, showers will arrive by the late afternoon and early evening.
Since the track needs to be dry for races on Saturday, the question is how long does the rain last? The good news is the rain should move out of Winston-Salem by 12 a.m. Saturday, giving plenty of time for the track to dry before events start Saturday afternoon.
Saturday afternoon’s events kick off with the Madhouse Classic at Bowman Gray Stadium at 1:45 p.m.
The sun will be shining with a few passing clouds which means sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are a good idea to bring with you for any races on Saturday. Temperatures around 1:45 p.m. for the first race of the day will be in the upper 50s so a jacket may be a good idea.
Practice and qualifying rounds for Sunday’s race begin at 6:10 p.m. on Saturday and temperatures will be in the mid-50s. And since the sun will also be down, layers and warmer clothing will be your friend.
Since temperatures will vary throughout the day on Saturday, it’s a good idea to dress in layers. Temperatures early in the day start in the 40s and peak in the low 60s in the afternoon.
Skies will remain mostly clear so by the time the heat races begin at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, temperatures will have fallen into the mid to upper 40s with mostly clear skies.
Sunday
Sunday’s the big day with the first return to Bowman Gray Stadium since 1971! For anyone camping out near the raceway, temperatures start off in the upper 30s Sunday morning and peak in the mid 50s by the afternoon.
If you’re heading to the last chance qualifier race at 6 p.m., warm clothes will be a must as temperatures will be in the upper 40s. No rain is in the forecast for race day and skies will be partly cloudy making for a nice but cold evening.
For the 17,000 fans lucky enough to be at the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday at 8 p.m., dress warmly as temperatures will be in the mid to upper 40s throughout the race and skies remain partly cloudy.
If you’re watching the race from your home, the good news is you can catch the race right here on FOX8 with coverage starting at 6 p.m.
