NASCAR Adjusts Charlotte Schedule as Hurricane Threat Nears

NASCAR changed its Charlotte Motor Speedway weekend schedule on October 10, 2026, moving Cup Series and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying sessions earlier as Hurricane Isaias affected the southeastern United States. The Bank of America 400 Cup Series race remained scheduled for Sunday in Concord, North Carolina.

According to USA TODAY, Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane with winds near 110 miles per hour. Forecasts called for heavy rain in Concord on Saturday, while conditions were expected to improve around the Cup Series race time on Sunday.

NASCAR moved Cup Series practice to 11 a.m. ET and qualifying to 12:05 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series sessions were shifted to 8:30 a.m. ET practice and 9:35 a.m. ET qualifying, according to NASCAR schedule information reported by multiple outlets.

The Blue Cross NC 300 remained scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Saturday, while the Bank of America 400 stayed set for 3 p.m. ET Sunday. Motorsport.com reported the Cup race would cover 267 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson entered the Charlotte race weekend leading the Cup Series championship standings by 40 points over Denny Hamlin, according to The New York Times. Larson had finished in the top five in five consecutive races and was second at Las Vegas before the Charlotte event.

Analysts Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi compared Larson's recent postseason form with past championship runs. Gluck referenced how teams could appear vulnerable before producing strong Chase performances.

"Oh, they’re vulnerable this year" was the phrase used in discussing the type of midseason doubts that surrounded past championship contenders, as reported in The New York Times' Q&A.

The Charlotte race marked the return of a fall Cup Series event to the oval after several seasons using the infield road course. Daniel Suarez was the most recent Charlotte oval winner after a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 victory earlier in the year, according to Motorsport.com.

The weekend schedule included Cup Series practice and qualifying on Saturday before the Bank of America 400 on Sunday. NASCAR officials had not changed the race start time despite the weather concerns.