CONCORD, N.C. -- Fans heading out to the Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend are checking the forecast to see whether to bring their sunscreen or an umbrella.
- Experts say it's important to know how cars perform under different weather conditions
- The biggest concern is trying to predict rain delays
- The Coca-Cola 600 is 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway
But race teams are checking the weather to strategize pit stops, fuel ups, and driving. The Richard Childress Racing team uses IBM technology to track race conditions, lap-by-lap.
Track temperature affects the grip of tires on the road, air density changes the drag felt by the driver, and conditions can change the mileage a car gets out of fuel.
“The air temperature could be 88. But if the sun’s out the track temperature is going to be hotter than if it’s 88 degrees and it’s cloudy,” Director of Global Forecast Center for The Weather Company Dale Eck said. “So those kind of things are going to play into how the car is set up, what the tire pressures are, ect.”
Knowing how the cars perform under specific weather conditions, also helps IBM artificial intelligence figure out the best setups for a car in future races based on a forecast. The biggest concern is trying to predict rain delays.
The Coca-Cola 600 is 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
