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NASCAR Cup race at Michigan halted by rain after Stage 1, will resume Monday
By Ellen J. Horrow, USA TODAY,
7 hours ago
With rain causing multiple delays Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR decided to suspend the FireKeepers Casino 400 and resume the race Monday at 11 a.m. ET.
The start of the Cup Series race was delayed more than two hours Sunday afternoon because of rain in Brooklyn, Michigan. The 200-lap race was scheduled to begin around 2:40 p.m. ET but didn’t start until 4:55 p.m. ET when the green flag dropped.
Drivers were able to complete the first stage, which was won by Ryan Blaney. Denny Hamlin had spun on Lap 39 of the 45-lap opening stage, bringing out a yellow flag. Most of the drivers hit pit road for fuel and tires during the caution, but Blaney was among a handful of drivers that stayed out. The Team Penske driver led on the restart and held on during a three-lap shootout to the end of the stage.
USA Network will broadcast the conclusion of the race on Monday, with live streams available on NBCSports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo .
NASCAR Cup Series cars are covered on pit road at Michigan International Speedway during Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400, which will resume on Monday. Mike Dickie, USA TODAY NETWORK
NASCAR has thrown a red flag before Stage 2 could begin and brought all the cars back down pit road as rain moved back over Michigan International Speedway. The red flag came out at the end of Lap 51 after some cars made pit stops following the completion the opening stage. Drivers have exited their cars, which have been covered up on pit road.
The start of the race was delayed nearly 2 and a half hours because of rain.
Ryan Blaney took the lead on a restart and held it in a three-lap shootout to end the opening stage of the FireKeepers Casino 400. Blaney was one of a handful of drivers that stayed out on the track during a caution for Denny Hamlin's spin. Chase Elliott restarted at the tail end of the top 10 after coming off pit road first during the caution, but he made a series of passes during those three laps to finish second.
Blaney, William Byron, Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs, Harrison Burton, Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Justin Haley, Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, Josh Berry pit as all others drivers staying out.
Denny Hamlin lost control of his car in Turn 4 while trying to draft off race leader Bubba Wallace and went for a spin through the infield grass to bring out the caution on Lap 39 of the FireKeepers Casino 400. Hamlin was able to keep his car off the wall, however.
Many of the leaders came to pit road to take fuel and change tires, and Chase Elliott beat all cars off pit road. Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton stayed out and will lead the field on the restart, with only a few laps remaining before the end of the first stage.
Kyle Larson had led the first 34 laps of the FireKeepers 400 at Michigan International Speedway with Denny Hamlin continuing to put pressure on Larson in second. While two drivers were battling for the lead, however, Bubba Wallace surged past both drivers to take the lead on Lap 35.
Hamlin remained in second, Larson fell to third, with Tyler Reddick in fourth and Christopher Bell in fifth. The first stage of this race is 45 laps.
The green flag has finally dropped for the FireKeepers 400 at Michigan International Speedway after a long rain delay. Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, lead the field.
Kyle Larson, who started fourth, used an aggressive move on the first lap to surge past Hamlin and Reddick to lead the opening lap.
As jet dryers and Air Titans continue to dry the track at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR officials have told crews they can remove the coverings on the cars, and they have asked drivers to return to the cars at 4:45 p.m. ET.
The start of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan continues to be delayed with rain returning to the area . Reporters at the speedway report track dryers were temporarily shut down, but have now returned to the track . There are no lights at Michigan International Speedway, so the race cannot be be held at night.
Jet dryers and Air Titans continue to dry the race track at Michigan International Speedway as the rain has begun let up. But weather forecasts and radar shows another band could hit the track this afternoon, possibly further delaying the start of today's FireKeepers Casino 400.
The rain has picked up at Michigan International Speedway, continuing to delay the start of today's FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race. Jet dryers and Air Titans have been employed on the oval to dry the track, and drivers have climbed out of their cars, which are covered on pit road.
After cars had taken a couple of pace laps around Michigan International Speeedway to get ready to take the green flag for the FireKeepers Casino 400, NASCAR officials ordered the cars to come back to pit road as light rain began falling in the area, delaying the start of the race.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Michigan on?
USA Network is broadcasting the FireKeepers Casino 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Michigan?
The FireKeepers Casino 400 can be live streamed on the NBCSports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo .
There's a decent chance of rain being a factor at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.
It will be mostly cloudy and humid throughout the afternoon, with a 55% chance of rain and possible thunderstorms, according to the AccuWeather forecast.
Winds will be out of the north-northwest at 9 mph, with gusts to 18 mph.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 is 200 laps around the 2-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 45 laps; Stage 2: 75 laps; Stage 3: 80 laps.
Denny Hamlin, in his No. 11 Toyota, posted the fastest time in Saturday’s qualifying and will start on the pole Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400. Tyler Reddick, in his No. 45 Toyota, will also start on the front row as Toyota drivers claimed four of the top five spots in qualifying.
Chris Buescher led 52 laps, including the final 12, before edging Martin Truex Jr. by a miniscule 0.152 seconds on Aug. 7, 2023 for his second of three wins last season. Buescher, who is winless in 2024, is currently ranked 13th in the drivers standings and on the bubble to make the playoffs.
Three races remain in the regular season, including Sunday’s race at Michigan, with four playoff berths still available. A win locks up a playoff spot, but a few drivers could still make the playoffs on points.
2024 winners (points in parentheses): Kyle Larson 4 (779); Denny Hamlin 3 (758); Christopher Bell 3 (701); William Byron 3 (678); Ryan Blaney 2 (702); Tyler Reddick 1 (774); Chase Elliott 1 (773); Brad Keselowski 1 (636); Alex Bowman 1 (615); Joey Logano 1 (557); Daniel Suarez 1 (497); Austin Cindric 1 (451); Austin Dillon (319) – Dillon lost his automatic playoff berth.
If no other winless drivers reach victory lane in the next three races, these are the drivers who are in position to make the playoffs on points – before Sunday’s race at Michigan:
13. Martin Truex Jr.: 662 points, +78 above the cutline
14. Ty Gibbs: 602 points, +18 above the cutline
15. Bubba Wallace: 587 points, +3 above the cutline
The 10-race, 16-driver NASCAR playoffs begin Sept. 8 with the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Michigan start?
The FireKeepers Casino 400 starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.
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