HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — The NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway resumed Sunday night following a delay of 3 hours, 9 minutes because of rain and lightning.
Pole winner Ryan Blaney held the lead when the red flag came out.
There had been concern about approaching rain before lighting within eight miles of the 1.54-mile oval track near Atlanta led NASCAR officials to order cars off the track and advise fans to exit the grandstand. Rain began soon
after the race was delayed.
The race was halted at lap 108 in Stage 2. The race was scheduled for 260 laps, and 130 laps had to be completed for the race to be official.
Blaney said he “took a nap and ate a little food” during the delay. Kyle Larson said the resumption of the race a few minutes before midnight EDT “is definitely past my bedtime.”
Blaney won the pole and his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano joined him on the front row. A third Team Penske driver, Austin Cindric, moved up to third early in the race for an early strong showing for the Fords.
Bubba Wallace was second and Tyler Reddick was third when the race was delayed. Another Toyota driver, Christopher Bell, was fourth. Chase Elliott, who won last summer’s race in Atlanta, was fifth.
Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin, who qualified 28th, moved up to 15th.
Reddick, who won at EchoPark Speedway in February as part of his string of five wins in the season's first nine races, qualified only 31st on Saturday. By the 35th lap he already had moved up to fourth, proving early that he again would be a factor in Atlanta.
The Cup Series moves to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, next weekend. Christopher Bell edged Joey Logano at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 18, 2025.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
