NASCAR ain't bothered by the wet as Oval Rain Package gets approved

Scenes of NASCAR cars all covered up sitting on pit road during gloom-filled rainy conditions on race day might be a thing of the past, as the governing body switches things up for the fast-approaching 2023 season of racing. In a recent announcement by the governing body that included several tweaks to the rulebook, one of the major changes came in the form of the introduction of wet weather tires for short oval tracks.

NASCAR fans have grown used to the let-down of having to wait for the weather to clear out on a day where everyone expected roaring engines and close racing on a sunny Sunday, with last year's race at Watkins Glen International and Dover Motor Speedway serving as examples. The governing body seems to have taken the rule change seriously as not only are wet-weather tires being introduced for the 2023 season for use on short oval tracks, but also the complete wet-weather package that the sport uses on road courses.

Tracks such as the LA Memorial Coliseum, Martinsville Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, and Richmond Raceway are some of the tracks where the package has been added to the teams' disposal. With neither of the mentioned tracks over a mile long, NASCAR aims to ensure maximum speeds are kept within reasonable standards if conditions worsen on race day.

The rule change is unlikely to get rid of rain delays entirely, as running on an oval track in heavy rain can never be categorized as fully safe, however, the wet weather package does ensure drivers will be seen out on track earlier than they have been before. As we have all seen in the past, the task of drying up the racing surface is usually one of the most time-consuming activities during a rain delay, which will no longer be needed going forward.

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What does the NASCAR wet weather package include?

NASCAR's introduction of a new wet weather package for ovals essentially mimics the road-course wet weather package, which has been in effect for quite some time now. This includes the much-needed grooved wet weather tires, in conjunction with hardware changes such as a single wiper fixed on the windshield along with rain flaps and rain lighting on the back of the cars.

The chances of seeing the wet weather package in action at the LA Memorial Coliseum this weekend are slim, however, racing is bound to be spectacular as NASCAR kicks off its 2023 Cup Series season with the Busch Light Clash on February 5th, 2023.