Rain continued to disrupt NASCAR’s Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, forcing officials to cancel practice for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Charbroil 300. The weather problems added more uncertainty to one of NASCAR’s biggest race weekends as teams waited for updates throughout the day.
NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass confirmed the cancellation on social media while noting that Cup Series practice and qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 were still tentatively scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
NASCAR had already dealt with multiple schedule changes earlier in the weekend because of heavy rain around Concord, North Carolina. Forecasts continued to show high chances of rain through Saturday and Sunday, raising concerns about further delays for both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Weather Problems Continue at Charlotte Motor Speedway
The NASCAR weather situation worsened after officials postponed the Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 earlier in the day. The race was moved to Saturday evening after repeated rain delays. Friday’s Truck Series practice and qualifying sessions were canceled completely because of wet conditions at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Without practice sessions, teams had limited time to gather information before racing. NASCAR used owner points to determine the Truck Series starting lineup after qualifying was washed out. Teams relied heavily on simulation programs, old setup notes, and previous Charlotte race data to prepare their cars.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series faced similar problems. NASCAR canceled qualifying for the Charbroil 300, and Justin Allgaier earned the pole position through the rulebook’s owner-points formula. The race remained scheduled for a 5 p.m. ET start on The CW despite the weather concerns.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service predicted rain chances close to 100 percent for much of Saturday. Reports also warned about possible thunderstorms through Sunday. Temperatures stayed in the mid-60s and low-70s with heavy clouds and humid conditions covering the Charlotte area.
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway Canceled by Rain
NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway was canceled on May 23, 2026, because of persistent rain and wet track conditions. NASCAR officials confirmed that the starting lineup for the Coca-Cola 600 will now be set using the sport’s rule book metric instead of qualifying results on track.
Officials still hope to run practice sessions later if weather conditions improve and the track dries enough for cars to safely return to the surface. The cancellation followed similar weather problems earlier in the day when NASCAR called off O’Reilly Auto Parts Series sessions because of heavy rain around the speedway.
Coca-Cola 600 Weekend Faces More Uncertainty
The Coca-Cola 600 remains scheduled for Sunday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the NASCAR weather forecast continued to create uncertainty around the event. Cup Series practice and qualifying remained scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but many fans questioned whether the weather would allow cars on track.
The Coca-Cola 600 is one of NASCAR’s biggest races each season. The 600-mile event covers 400 laps and tests both driver endurance and car reliability on Charlotte’s demanding 1.5-mile quad-oval. Wet weather could force NASCAR officials to adjust the schedule or move the race to Monday if conditions do not improve.
Tracking drying remained challenging due to ongoing light rain and drizzle through Saturday afternoon. NASCAR needed a long dry period to prepare the racing surface, something weather forecasts did not guarantee.
NASCAR Fans and Teams Wait for Final Decisions
Fans attending the Coca-Cola 600 weekend still had access to several planned activities despite the weather delays. Charlotte Motor Speedway continued to offer weather guarantees to ticket holders, while children ages 12 and under received free admission. Fan Zone events and the scheduled 38 Special concert also remained on the calendar, weather permitting.
The difficult weekend also came during an emotional time for the NASCAR community following the recent death of veteran driver Kyle Busch. Charlotte Motor Speedway honored Busch earlier in the week before attention shifted toward the weather problems affecting the race schedule.
As of Saturday afternoon, NASCAR officials continued monitoring conditions before making decisions on the remaining sessions. For now, rain remained the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Coca-Cola 600 weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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