Will wet weather threaten Sunday’s NASCAR race in Michigan?

By Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist

Dry and pleasant weather is gracing southeastern Michigan to start the weekend, but will these conditions last for Sunday's Consumers Energy 400 race?

A storm tracking towards the Great Lakes on Sunday will be keeping race officials on their toes during the afternoon hours.

"Dry conditions are anticipated, but there is a slight chance a race-delaying shower or thunderstorm could sneak into the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) area," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff. "However, the chance of rain appears to be less than 20 percent."

Currently, the best chance for a stray shower or thunderstorm lies to the west, from Lansing to Lake Michigan.

Regardless if rain does make it all the way into southeastern Michigan on Sunday, an increase in cloud cover is expected. Seasonably warm temperatures in the low 80s F are anticipated as well.

A light southwesterly breeze will act to get rid of the fall-like humidity levels that have been observed across Michigan late this week. The humidity will by no means be oppressive on Sunday, but there will be a noticeable bump up back to more typical summertime readings.

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Even with the uptick in humidity, the clouds filtering overhead will help to keep AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures from not soaring too much past actual temperatures.

Racers and fans are hoping that this Sunday will not bring a repeat of the weather when NASCAR last visited Michigan.

MIS hosted the Firekeepers Casino 400 this past June and was plagued by periods of rain. The race ultimately had to be rescheduled for the following day after rain refused to allow the race.

Clint Bowyer stands on pit row waiting out the rain delay during the NASCAR cup series auto race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 9, 2019, in Brooklyn, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The 2-mile speedway in southeastern Michigan does not have lights surrounding the track, so the race must start by late afternoon in order to finish before dusk.

On Sunday, Brad Keselowski is set to take the pole position to start the race Sunday afternoon at MIS, followed by a handful of drivers that have had success at the track in the past. Joey Logano won the Firekeepers Casino 400 back in June and is set to start this weekend's race in 8th place.

Following Sunday's scheduled race, a further surge in humidity is expected on Monday before another storm may sweep potentially heavy rain through the area at night.

Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest forecast and to view AccuWeather MinuteCast® to know exactly when rain is expected in your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.