NASCAR Update: Scenes Get Uglier as Mother Nature Ruins NASCAR Texas Weekend

You don’t typically pack an umbrella for Texas. After all, this is the land of cowboy hats, BBQ, and endless sunshine, about 300 days of it a year. It’s the kind of state where locals joke rain is just a rumor started by Californians. But this weekend? The Lone Star State had other plans.

Persistent rain rolled into Texas Motor Speedway like an uninvited guest at a tailgate, leaving drivers, crews, and fans frustrated, wet, and waiting. The weather didn’t just mess with vibes, it messed with the schedule. While anticipation was building for some on-track fireworks, Mother Nature had a soggy surprise. What followed next was less horsepower, more heartburn—and a lineup shake-up that no one quite expected.

Rains bring a Texas-sized NASCAR shakeup

Thunderstorm alerts blanketed Fort Worth ahead of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying. They brought heavy rains and lightning that left the Texas Motor Speedway soaked and scrambling. Track officials monitored conditions closely. In the end, NASCAR made the call: qualifying was officially canceled due to persistent rain.

When qualifying is canceled, NASCAR uses a metric system to set the starting lineup. This metric combines several performance-based factors:

• 25% is based on the driver’s finish in the previous race,
• 25% on the car owner’s finish in the previous race,
• 35% on the current owner points standings, and
• 15% on the fastest lap from the previous race.

The driver with the lowest combined score earns the pole position. Which is why Austin Hill, thanks to strong recent performances (including his Talladega win), will start P1 for the Texas race. The field for a NASCAR Xfinity Series race is typically capped at 38 cars, but 40 teams entered for the Texas event.

With qualifying canceled, the lineup was set strictly by the metric system. The two drivers lowest in the metric order, Dawson Cram and CJ McLaughlin, were the first to be excluded. These two were classified as DNQs (Did Not Qualify) because their combined metrics placed them outside the available starting spots. It left them out of the race without a chance to qualify on speed.

This metrics system rewards consistent performance and points standings rather than random draws or luck. While this maintains competitive integrity, it can be a tough break for smaller teams or part-time drivers, who lose their shot at racing when the weather doesn’t play along.

Fans and drivers alike are naturally left wanting more. Texas is known for big, bold racing—wild restarts, fast corners, and unexpected heroes. But this weekend, it was the rain that stole the spotlight. And if forecasts hold, more weather drama might just be waiting around the next turn.

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What if rain cancels the Xfinity Race entirely?

If the relentless Texas rain continues and the Xfinity Series race itself is canceled, NASCAR has a well-established set of procedures to handle the situation. Initially, officials will attempt to delay or reschedule the race, often pushing it to later in the day or to the next available window, typically the following day. This is standard practice across NASCAR’s top series, giving teams and fans hope for a window of clear weather.

Should the rain persist and make the track unsafe for an extended period, NASCAR could be forced to postpone the race to a different date entirely. In rare cases where a postponement isn’t possible, the race could be canceled outright. However, this is exceedingly uncommon in NASCAR history. The sanctioning body does everything possible to avoid a total cancellation.

For fans, ticket policies come into play. NASCAR’s Weather Protection Program and the Speedway Motorsports Weather Guarantee allow ticket holders to exchange their tickets for a future race of equal or lesser value at participating tracks, including Texas Motor Speedway. However, direct cash refunds are generally not offered; instead, fans receive credit or exchanges for future events, provided they contact officials within the specified window. This policy helps soften the blow, but it doesn’t replace the unique experience of race day.

Ultimately, a canceled Xfinity race would be a major disappointment for teams, drivers, and fans, especially after a weekend already disrupted by qualifying cancellations. But as every NASCAR regular knows, battling the elements is just another part of the unpredictable world of racing.