Friday’s thunderstorms struck early and reshaped the weekend for NASCAR’s return to the Brickyard 400. The Cup Series lost its full practice session as storms swept through Indianapolis, halting on-track activity and forcing officials to modify their plans. Though an alternate session has been added for Saturday, rain remains a looming concern. With consecutive weekends impacted by weather and limited preparation time, teams and drivers may face yet another unpredictable race buildup.
Key Highlights
Friday Cup Series practice session canceled due to thunderstorms.
New 25-minute practice session added for Saturday.
Saturday forecast remains uncertain with potential thunderstorms.
Sunday weather expected to be mostly clear for Brickyard 400.
Denny Hamlin will start on pole if Saturday qualifying is canceled.
Cup Practice Scrapped, Revised Plan Set for Saturday
The Cup Series was scheduled to run a 50-minute practice session on Friday as part of a rare three-day weekend format, but storms swept through Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, washing out the opportunity. NASCAR confirmed that all Friday on-track activity for the Cup cars was canceled.
In response, officials created a condensed Saturday plan. The Cup field — all 39 teams — will now have a single 25-minute combined practice session on Saturday. It’s a rare adjustment meant to give teams at least some time to tune their setups. That session is slated to occur after Xfinity Series qualifying and immediately before Cup qualifying.
Whether that new plan holds depends on the skies. The Saturday forecast offers no guarantees, with temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms still in play.
Brickyard Weekend Feels the Weather Squeeze
Saturday’s prospects don’t inspire much more confidence. There’s a 55% chance of rain, and while NASCAR hopes to fit in both Xfinity and Cup qualifying ahead of the Pennzoil 250, it may once again rely on metric-based grid setups if weather intervenes. That’s the same situation teams faced last weekend, when rain eliminated any pre-race track time.
Should rain win again on Saturday, Denny Hamlin will start the Brickyard 400 from the pole under the NASCAR metric formula. The timing would be fitting, as Hamlin announced Friday that he has signed a new multi-year contract extension to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing — the only team he’s driven for in his Cup Series career.
Sunday Remains the Brickyard’s Best Bet
Despite the turbulence on Friday and Saturday, Sunday brings better conditions. The rain chance drops to just 20%, with temperatures still hovering in the 80s°F. While slick, hot-weather racing could create handling issues and tire degradation, the relative dryness offers a clear window for NASCAR to run the full Brickyard 400 without interruption.
This marks the second consecutive year the race returns to the oval configuration — a nostalgic nod for longtime fans and a strategic reset for teams in the playoff hunt. If practice and qualifying are partially or fully lost again this week, Sunday’s race will become even more difficult to predict, as many teams will head in without recent track data.
A dry race day would be welcome not just for logistics, but also for clarity in competition. With the playoffs fast approaching, and only limited chances left to secure postseason spots, every lap at Indianapolis carries weight.
News in Brief: 2025 Brickyard 400 Practice Session Changes
Thunderstorms canceled Friday’s full 50-minute Cup practice for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. In response, NASCAR scheduled a condensed 25-minute combined practice for Saturday, following Xfinity qualifying and ahead of Cup qualifying. However, the Saturday forecast remains uncertain with continued rain chances around 55%. If qualifying is canceled, Denny Hamlin will start on pole under the NASCAR rulebook’s metric formula. Sunday’s Brickyard 400 outlook is more favorable, with only a 20% chance of rain expected.
