RELATED: Complete schedule for Dover weekend
As drivers and teams prepare for this weekend's elimination race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, they're also bracing for the effects of Hurricane Joaquin as it churns toward the Eastern United States.
The storm, rated as a Category 4 hurricane as of 5 a.m. ET Friday, threatens to bring damaging winds, torrential rain and possible flooding to the Mid-Atlantic area and Dover International Speedway, site of this weekend's AAA 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Races for NASCAR's XFINITY Series and the K&N Pro Series East developmental circuit are also on the schedule.
Haulers for both national series were scheduled to load into the 1-mile Delaware track Thursday afternoon, but a hauler parade scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET was canceled. Despite the threatening forecast, a NASCAR spokesperson said Thursday morning that series officials would be flexible with any changes in weather conditions.
"NASCAR will continue to work closely with Dover International Speedway and monitor the weather for the weekend," the spokesperson said. "At this time, all schedules remain intact."
The Dover track, approximately seven miles inland from the Delaware Bay, is among several areas in the state under a coastal flood watch that remains in effect through Sunday. The National Weather Service has predicted gusty winds and major rainfall amounts -- between 5-7 inches over the next five days -- for the Mid-Atlantic area, even if Joaquin's center fails to make landfall.
A statement made by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday said that Joaquin's path was uncertain to predict, but that "it is reasonably sure that the tropical system will have an impact of some kind on Delaware over the weekend. It is too early to tell exactly what that impact will be."
A tripleheader of racing makes this weekend an especially busy one for the Dover track. Besides staging the third event of the 10-race Chase on Sunday, the Monster Mile will also host the XFINITY Series' Hisense 200 (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) and the season-ending Drive Sober 125 presented by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety for the K&N Pro Series East.
The track said in a Thursday release that it was "full steam ahead" with preparations for the race weekend.
"We work closely with NASCAR, the National Weather Service and our on-site meteorologist to monitor weather during our major events," a track spokesperson said in the release. "We are currently tracking this weekend's weather and will update fans via social media, and our website, as information becomes available."
The last time a tropical disturbance dramatically altered a race weekend schedule was in September 2008, when Tropical Storm Hanna and a declared state of emergency in Virginia postponed two days of on-track activity at Richmond International Raceway, forcing a rare Sprint Cup-XFINITY Series doubleheader on a Sunday.
NASCAR officials worked with the track, opting to postpone all events early in the interest of safety for campers and other fans. The decision also weighed that law enforcement officials normally involved in security and traffic management at the race track should be dedicated to disaster relief at the height of the storm.