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Potential Sunday tripleheader on tap for NASCAR at Atlanta

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 12:32 AM ET

If rain does fall at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, on Saturday, NASCAR has a contingency plan ready to go.

There is a chance of rain in Hampton throughout the day Saturday that could threaten NASCAR Cup Series qualifying as well the the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races scheduled for Saturday. Sunday's forecast for the Cup Series race is clear.

Both the Truck Series and O'Reilly Series being postponed could lead to a unique scenario come Sunday.

NASCAR's Atlanta contingency plan

Per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, if both the Truck Series and O'Reilly Series races were to be postponed, Sunday would host a NASCAR tripleheader, with the Trucks leading off, the Cup Series running as scheduled and the O'Reilly Series concluding the evening.

Forecast improving for Saturday, 40% rain 12-7pm, 55% after that. Contingency plans fluid so take this fwiw ... in truck garage, the understanding is if both races ppd, tripleheader Sunday order would be O'Reilly-Cup-Truck. If one race ppd, then it is in the morning before Cup.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 20, 2026

However, as rain chances have diminished, the more likely scenario is that only one race, if either one at all is postponed, would be pushed back, leading to that race being run early Sunday ahead of the Cup Series' Autotrader 400.

Both the Truck Series and O'Reilly Series were able to qualify Friday after a previously poor forecast cleared up Friday morning.

Cup Series qualifying is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET Saturday, with the Truck Series race scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. ET and the O'Reilly Series race scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.

Sunday's Autotrader 400 will go green shortly after 3 p.m. ET.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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