NASCAR has responded to an imminent weather threat by advancing the start of Sunday’s Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway, moving the green flag from the originally scheduled 3:21 p.m. Eastern to a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The change is made possible by the race’s exclusive broadcast on Prime Video, whose streaming platform offers the flexibility needed to reshuffle the timetable without the constraints of traditional cable schedules.
A venue that knows the elements
Pocono Raceway has been a staple of the NASCAR circuit since 1974, and its summer dates are notorious for sudden thunderstorms and shifting wind patterns. Practice and qualifying are slated for Saturday afternoon, giving teams a narrow window to adjust setups before the early afternoon start.
Over the decades the track has witnessed five rain‑shortened races, the most recent of which saw Chris Buescher claim his first career victory in 2016. The event has also been fully postponed on three occasions, with the 2002 edition cut short by encroaching darkness, underscoring the logistical challenges of running a superspeedway in a climate prone to rapid weather swings.
Despite the weather‑related hiccups, the 2026 schedule places the Great American Getaway 400 as the sixteenth race of the season, and the early start is expected to draw a sizable audience on the streaming service that has become a staple for motorsport fans.