Who makes the call
The track decides, and for a touring series the series officials decide with it. The call usually comes from the radar a few hours out rather than the forecast a few days out: a promoter with a full grandstand coming will wait as long as the weather allows. Many tracks call it in the afternoon for a night show, earlier when the field travels far.
Lightning
Lightning stops racing even when it is dry. Many series and tracks clear the stands and stop the cars when lightning is within about eight to ten miles, and wait until 30 minutes pass without a strike before starting again. A storm that misses the track can still cost an hour.
Where the call gets posted
On the track's own website and social media pages, and on the series' for a touring event. The track's Facebook page is often first. Each track page here links the track's official site.
Reading the forecast for a race
Look at the hours that matter, not the whole day. Every flag here is judged over the racing hours for that type of track: dirt tracks 4 pm to 11 pm, paved short tracks noon to 11 pm, and so on. On a race weekend with a published start, over the hours around the green flag.
- The hour strip on the track page shows each hour's chance of rain and its amount. A 40% chance at 3 pm and 10% from 6 pm is a different night from 40% all evening.
- The radar loop on the track page shows what is on its way now.
- On a dirt track, rain in the morning still counts: a soaked track can be lost even when the evening is dry, and the flag says so.
Questions
Will tonight's race be rained out?
Only the track can say. What we can show is the chance of rain hour by hour through the racing hours, the radar, and any National Weather Service alert for the track. Check the track's own pages for the call.
Does rain before the gates open matter at a dirt track?
Yes. Heavy rain in the morning can leave the track too wet to work in time, even if the evening is dry, so on dirt tracks the flag counts the rain from 6 am to the start of the racing hours.
What does "a shower possible" mean?
The weather model shows some rain in an hour, but few of its runs agree. It is a caution, a yellow flag, not a washout.
What happens to my ticket if it rains?
That depends on the track or the series: many honour tickets at a rain date or give a credit. Check the rain policy on the track's own site.