A sudden thunderstorm rolled over Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, forcing officials to call off the ARCA Menards Series qualifying session that had been scheduled for the afternoon.
Rain Forces Schedule Shift
With the qualifying round wiped out, NASCAR officials moved the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice to the slot originally reserved for Saturday's qualifying, pushing the on‑track activity to a later time.
The practice is now set for 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the series will use the same session to determine the starting lineup, a decision that reflects the series' priority of getting as much on‑track time as possible before the rain fully clears.
Under the metric system, Connor Zilisch will start on the pole, with Brent Crews right behind him, a pairing that highlights both their friendship and their rivalry on the track.
The green flag for the race is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. ET, and the event will be broadcast exclusively on The CW, giving viewers a single‑network view of the action.
The schedule change underscores how quickly weather can reshape a weekend's slate, and it also provides a glimpse into the logistical challenges faced by teams and series alike.
Fans will be watching closely to see how the altered order influences the competitive dynamics, especially as several of the series' rising stars, including Carson Kvapil, Corey Day and Parker Retzlaff, prepare to line up behind the pole sitters.