NASCAR is back and storms have followed; Will they race?
On Thursday, the first of two storms rolled into Southern California. It caused some flooding, mostly in the Long Beach area which saw vehicles in the roadways submerged.
However, the second storm is expected to be much worse. The National Weather Service is calling it, “life-threatening.”
They stated, “The latest on the next storm. This shaping out to be a life-threatening flooding situation especially during the Sunday through Monday time period. This is a lot of rain, with a potential for projections to go even higher. There is still time to prepare.”
San Diego issued evacuation warnings to residents in flood prone areas.
The system on the way is moving slower than the first storm. That will cause more rain to be dumped on Southern California than the first storm.
Yet, Friday’s storm set 5 rainfall records in places such as Santa Barbara Airport which saw 2.93 inches, smashing a former record of 2.02 set in 1960.
The weather has led to the temporary closure of SeaWorld San Diego.
Second storm coming
Forecasts predict the second storm arriving in Los Angeles Saturday night. However, the majority of the rainfall is expected on Sunday and Monday.
Some areas received up to five inches of rain with the first storm. They predict the second storm to have double the rainfall.
The state has already activated the Emergency Operations Center. They are on hand with emergency responders and equipment to help with water rescues.
Los Angeles is expected to see rain as early as Saturday night with the heaviest rainfall on Sunday night leading into Monday morning. 3-6 inches of rain are expected with mountain areas seeing 6-12 inches.
The 1/4-mile asphalt oval is a temporary built racetrack. The track has already seen rainfall since its construction and drainage is built into the design.
NASCAR has new rules for short tracks regarding rain. Rain tires are on hand for all short track events. However, they only race in damp conditions as no wipers are fitted on Clash cars.
Qualifying and practice for the The Busch Light Clash takes place on Saturday. On Sunday, NASCAR Cup Series drivers as well as the NASCAR Mexico Series are scheduled to race the feature event.
In the event rain postpones the event, there’s nothing scheduled at the LA Coliseum in the days following the race. NASCAR has an option to push back the race by a few days.
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