Could a ‘Weather Dome’ Bring an End to NASCAR’s Cancelled Race Problem?

It sounds like the maniacal idea straight off the pages of a Hollywood disaster movie – but a glass dome could be used to protect NASCAR racetracks from bad weather and minimize the risk of races being cancelled. It sounds crazy… but it might just work.

Glass Half Full

There’s nothing worse for NASCAR than a race that has to be abandoned due to heavy rain.

The drivers miss out on a chance to win points, tickets have to be refunded, while TV viewers and bettors wagering on NASCAR at betting sites like Paddy Power Sports also have their afternoon’s entertainment washed out. There’s a chance to wager before and during the race with the Irish firm, with additional markets like driver vs driver and top three finish offering another way for the betting community to have their say on how the action will unfold.

There are ramifications too for those placing futures bets on multiple outcomes, with a missed race potentially scuppering a driver’s playoff push. Some bettors use a lucky 15 bet calculator to work out their return on a multiple bet: they may have wagered on a driver to win the NASCAR Cup Championship, as well as outright bets on the F1, NBA, NFL, and so on.

So cancelled races – of which there were six during the 2024 season – undermine the integrity of the championship, while costing NASCAR and its host venues much-needed revenue.

The remainder of the NASCAR Cup Series race has been postponed to Monday at 11a ET due to weather.

We’ll be on Lap 52 of 200 when we resume on USA Network. pic.twitter.com/OXHRdQYjiV

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 18, 2024

But there could be a, let’s call it, ‘unique’ solution at hand. Joe Gibbs Racing, the mechanical team that have delivered five NASCAR Cup champions over the years, want a glass dome to be used at smaller racetracks to provide a protective bubble against the inclement weather.

While they appreciate that such a plan would be expensive, not to mention unfeasible at larger tracks like Talladega, that’s not to say it couldn’t work at more compact venues.

$80 Million Dollar Question

A spokesperson for Joe Gibbs Racing used Bristol Motor Speedway, which hosted two races in 2024, as an example of the cost versus reward of doming a racetrack.

“A roof at Bristol Motor Speedway at half a mile is actually feasible. It would come at the cost of $80 million,” they said. “The key would be not fully enclosing the track giving emissions and sound a place to go.”

At the time of writing, NASCAR’s measures to tackle wet races are reactive, rather than proactive. They have allowed for wet weather tyres to be used on the cars, while calling in the Air Titan system – which utilizes a compressed air pump – to dry the track as quickly as possible.

NEWS: Due to inclement weather, Saturday's final practice for the #DAYTONA500 has been canceled.

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2024

Another option is to move the start time of races in a bid to beat the rain, but for logistical reasons that isn’t always possible.

Heading off the rain before it even reaches the ground is the ideal scenario… although the possibility of using a glass dome, once used as a comedic set piece by The Simpson writing team, might not be the answer.

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