According to the National Weather Service, there is a 60% chance of showers on Sunday afternoon, with precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. According to Weather Network.com, the possibility for precipitation is 100% with light rain the morning and multiple showers in the afternoon. According to NASCAR, that number is 50%. Clearly, everyone disagrees on the amount of rain that will fall on Ridgeway, West Virginia and Martinsville Speedway, but one thing is clear—it won’t be dry. To address this, wet-weather tires will be available for the event, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Initially introduced for road courses, wet-weather tires made their oval debut during the 2023 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Since then, they’ve been utilized in the Cup Series at Richmond Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2024.
Per the NASCAR Rule Book, the series managing director declares when wet-weather conditions are in effect. During a race, NASCAR determines the appropriate tire configuration based on track conditions, deciding between standard “slicks” or wet-weather tires.
Following the 2024 New Hampshire race, NASCAR updated its procedures: if natural cautions occur under wet conditions, teams now have the discretion to manage their allotted sets of wet tires. Previously, NASCAR dictated when teams could switch between sets of wet-weather tires on ovals. This change allows teams to strategize, choosing whether to pit for new wet tires or remain on older ones to gain track position.
Should track conditions improve and dry out, the series director may call for a caution to permit teams to transition back to standard tires. For Sunday’s race at Martinsville, Goodyear will provide a maximum of four sets of wet-weather tires. Fans can distinguish these by the white Goodyear lettering, as opposed to the standard yellow.
Other ovals where wet-weather tires might be employed include Phoenix Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Craftsman Truck Series.
As race day approaches, teams and fans alike will be closely monitoring the weather, prepared to adapt to any changes that may arise.