It started off like any other race-weekend morning in Talladega: campers buzzing, RVs rolling in, tents pitched deep into the infield. Today’s official forecast shows clear skies and sunshine with a high near 75 °F, and winds coming from the northwest around 10-20 mph. On the surface, it seems mild, maybe even perfect for a day at the track. But a look at the overnight forecast reveals a different story.

The local zone forecast warned of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight, with wind gusts up to 25 mph possible as south winds picked up.

So here’s where things get interesting for the in-field campers. By late evening, the wind probably began to build steadily and insistently while skies darkened and the chance of rain edged up. When rain finally came, it likely arr

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