WTFchris
08-20-2007, 11:45 AM
3M Performance 400 rescheduled for Monday
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- The 3M Performance 400 has been postponed until Monday because of rain at Michigan International Speedway. The race will be telecast on ESPN2.
Now the bad news: The forecast calls for rain continuing into Monday.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the event would move to Tuesday if rain Monday caused another postponement.
The Nextel Cup schedule doesn't have an open weekend the rest of the season, so NASCAR couldn't move the event to another weekend date unless it came after the scheduled season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18.
That would cause numerous complications.
"The Chase is set on the first 26 events," Poston said. "If we could not get this race in this week, Michigan would move to Friday of Thanksgiving weekend and become the final race of the season."
That unlikely scenario would make the New Hampshire race Sept. 16 as the final event to qualify for the 12-driver Chase instead of the first race of the playoff for the championship.
There's also the problem of possible snow or freezing weather conditions in Michigan at that time of year.
Three races this year -- Richmond, Darlington and Dover -- were postponed until the next day. The first Pocono event was shortened because of rain.
The last time a Cup race at MIS was postponed because of rain was August 1977.
I don't watch Nascar, but found it interesting that a rain out means this could be the last race of the year. Not exactly ideal weather in late November here.
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- The 3M Performance 400 has been postponed until Monday because of rain at Michigan International Speedway. The race will be telecast on ESPN2.
Now the bad news: The forecast calls for rain continuing into Monday.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the event would move to Tuesday if rain Monday caused another postponement.
The Nextel Cup schedule doesn't have an open weekend the rest of the season, so NASCAR couldn't move the event to another weekend date unless it came after the scheduled season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18.
That would cause numerous complications.
"The Chase is set on the first 26 events," Poston said. "If we could not get this race in this week, Michigan would move to Friday of Thanksgiving weekend and become the final race of the season."
That unlikely scenario would make the New Hampshire race Sept. 16 as the final event to qualify for the 12-driver Chase instead of the first race of the playoff for the championship.
There's also the problem of possible snow or freezing weather conditions in Michigan at that time of year.
Three races this year -- Richmond, Darlington and Dover -- were postponed until the next day. The first Pocono event was shortened because of rain.
The last time a Cup race at MIS was postponed because of rain was August 1977.
I don't watch Nascar, but found it interesting that a rain out means this could be the last race of the year. Not exactly ideal weather in late November here.