Michigan International Speedway Weather Alert: Rain threatens to delay NASCAR Cup race start

According to the latest weather report, NASCAR's 24th Cup Series race, the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, is expected to face rain showers before its scheduled start.

Inclement weather has already disrupted the Michigan race weekend, with Cup Series practice rained out and qualifying washed away. Moreover, the Xfinity Series' Cabo Wabo 250 was delayed by showers. As NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams prepare for the third last race of the regular season, the weather forecast for Michigan indicates that scattered showers north of the track are expected to arrive just as the green flag is set to wave.

In a recent post on X, Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass claimed that Michigan is currently dry with only a few scattered drops of rain. However, he cautions that the weather situation remains fluid and could change rapidly. He wrote:

"Two hours before 2:36p ET green. Still iffy as far as weather but beyond a few drops, dry at the moment here in Michigan"

Moreover, according to Raceweather, rain showers are approaching Michigan International Speedway at a speed of 20-25 mph, currently located about 30 miles north of the track.

"12:45 PM @MISpeedway update - Rain showers are abt 30 miles north of track, moving 20-25 mph. Will arrive prior to 2:30 PM ET scheduled GF."

However, there hasn't been any official change in the scheduled 2:30 PM ET start. However, there's a strong possibility of weather-related interruptions during the race.

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Entry list for the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway

With NASCAR playoffs looming, a total of 36 drivers are set to compete at the 2-mile-long track. The starting lineup has been set up according to NASCAR's rulebook qualifying metric.

Here's the list of the starting lineup for the 24th Cup Series race:

1. #11 - Denny Hamlin
2. #45 - Tyler Reddick
3. #20 - Christopher Bell
4. #5 - Kyle Larson
5. #23 - Bubba Wallace
6. #9 - Chase Elliott
7. #1 - Ross Chastain
8. #12 - Ryan Blaney
9. #24 - William Byron
10. #3 - Austin Dillon
11. #77 - Carson Hocevar (R)
12. #99 - Daniel Suárez
13. #8 - Kyle Busch
14. #22 - Joey Logano
15. #6 - Brad Keselowski
16. #4 - Josh Berry (R)
17. #34 - Michael McDowell
18. #17 - Chris Buescher
19. #54 - Ty Gibbs
20. #38 - Todd Gilliland
21. #14 - Chase Briscoe
22. #48 - Alex Bowman
23. #2 - Austin Cindric
24. #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
25. #10 - Noah Gragson
26. #41 - Ryan Preece
27. #71 - Zane Smith (R)
28. #43 - Erik Jones
29. #51 - Justin Haley
30. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
31. #7 - Corey LaJoie
32. #31 - Daniel Hemric
33. #42 - John Hunter Nemechek
34. #21 - Harrison Burton
35. #16 - A. J. Allmendinger (i)
36. #15 - Cody Ware