For a day that never saw a single car on track, it was perhaps the most crazy.
Saturday was meant to be Snowflake 100 day, but mother nature had other plans.
Persistent rain and storms plagued the Gulf Coast on Saturday.
When I arrived at the track, there was already a heavy intermittent drizzle. I made my way down to the track, but decided that I wanted my flash, so I went back to my truck. Sure enough, as soon as I got to the truck, the rain began to fall harder.
I sat in my truck for about 30 minutes before the rain let up, then headed back down to the infield, making my way to the tech shed.
As the rains seemed to be letting off, Five Flags Speedway officials began track drying, and held a drivers meeting. Tim Bryant detailed the plan, which at the time was to get the race in on Saturday. He did, however, offer up the contingency plan as well.
Just after the conclusion of the driver’s meeting, the rains returned. This time, however, they never left.
We sat in the tech area, waiting and hoping as we watched the conditions grow steadily worse and worse.
After about an hour of this waiting, it was clear that all was lost on this day. The water had reached the tech area, causing tech officials to scramble as their vehicles were in danger of being flooded.
After waiting out a severe storm cell that included intense lighting strikes around the property, I found my opportunity to get out.
I made it home soaked, but safe, and spent the remainder of the day and evening following up on the situation, writing stories, and responding to questions and comments.
Tomorrow, should mother nature allow, we will race the 51st Annual Snowball Derby. If not tomorrow, then Monday night… or whenever the weather allows.
For the first time in its two decades of running, the Snowflake 100 was postponed. The Flake, and it’s support races, will be contested on December 8th.
It is what it is.
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