BRISTOL, Tenn. – NASCAR drivers dodged the rain for 204 laps Sunday in the Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the weather eventually won. After the scheduled 500-lap race had been stopped three times because of rain showers, NASCAR postponed the remainder of the event until Monday at 1 p.m. ET (Fox). The race will resume on the 205th lap with Kyle Larson in front.
Weather forecasters predicted the likelihood of a total washout Sunday, but a break in the weather allowed the race to start shortly after 1:30 p.m. Showers surrounded the track much of the day, however, and rain eventually dampened the surface, leading to three red flags (plus one to clean up a crash).
Larson dominated the closing portion of Sunday’s racing. He led Denny Hamlin by seven seconds — an eternity on a short track — when rain forced a caution flag and then a red at 4:07 p.m. Third through fifth on the track were Paul Menard, Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
One of the race’s top contenders dropped out after 118 laps. Ryan Blaney led 100 laps before being eliminated in a multi-car crash in the closing laps of Stage 1. Blaney and teammate Brad Keselowski were racing for the lead when lapped cars wrecked in front of them.
