Great American Getaway 400 weather updates: Race delayed as lightning, rain sweep across Pocono Raceway

Contributor
Teddy Ricketson
Great American Getaway 400 weather updates: Race delayed as lightning, rain sweep across Pocono Raceway image

NASCAR is coming off a successful race in Mexico, and now heads to Pennsylvania. The Cup Series will run the 2025 Great American Getaway at the Pocono Raceway. 

It is the only time this season that the drivers will deal with the Tricky Triangle. If the course wasn't enough to deal with, Sunday's race is being impacted by the weather. In typical summer fashion, it is hot in Long Pond, PA, and there are thunderstorms in the forecast for the day. The Cup Series completed practice and qualifying without incident over the weekend, but it appears that the start of the race will be delayed. 

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Here are the latest weather updates for NASCAR's Great American Getaway. 

NASCAR at Pocono weather updates

All times ET. 

4:35 p.m. -- The race is finally underway, but one thing to watch is that Kelly Crandall is reporting the end of the race will be 8:25 p.m. ET, if they can't get all the laps in before dark. 

4:15 p.m. -- It looks like the race will get underway at 4:30 p.m. ET.

3:39 p.m. -- Drivers are going through the fan walk on their way to driver intros. The skies look more clear, and we should be underway soon. 

2:16 p.m. -- NASCAR analyst Dustin Long reports that the hope is to start the race between 4 and 5 p.m. ET. This will not only be a race between drivers, but also a race against time. Pocono Raceway does not have lights. 

2:09 p.m. -- Track drying efforts are still underway. 

1:49 p.m. -- At long last, the lightning hold has been lifted. The 2 p.m. start time is definitely not happening. Gates opened, and they began efforts to start drying the track. 

12:27 p.m. -- An hour passed, but lightning is still in the area. The Pocono Raceway has paused its pre-race activities and is in a "holding pattern" for the time being. 

11:19 a.m. -- The Raceway put out a notice on Sunday morning that there is lightning in the area, and urged everyone to remain sheltered. This resulted in the cancellation of the Fan Stage and Victory Lane Stage Q&As.