NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan suspended until Monday due to rain

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan was halted on Sunday, August 6, with 126 laps left to go. It is now scheduled to resume on Monday, August 7, at noon ET.

The race initially began following an 85-minute rain delay, and after an action-packed 74 laps, the heavens opened up once again in the 2-mile oval track.

Due to the track's significant size requiring around 90 minutes to dry and lacking lights, NASCAR chose to postpone the remainder of the race approximately 2.5 hours before sunset. Had the race reached the halfway point, it would have been deemed official.

Tyler Reddick was leading when the race was suspended, with Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., and Erik Jones following behind.

Truex demonstrated his dominance, leading for 30 laps and winning the opening stage. Despite different pit strategies among teams, Truex managed to climb from 30th to fourth place in less than 25 laps during the second stage.

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What happened in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan?

Several top contenders faced setbacks in the race: Kyle Busch's day ended after just 14 laps due to contact with Ryan Blaney and a subsequent spin.

Chase Elliott was out after a flat tire caused him to hit the wall on Lap 35, and William Byron experienced a single-car crash at the end of the first stage on Lap 45.

During his duel with Bowman for the lead on Lap 65, Christopher Bell also encountered a crash but managed to persevere and continue. According to NASCAR, Elliott gave an exclusive statement:

"It was really early in the day to have a tire blow like that. It was really weird. It's a bummer but not surprised."

This marked the fourth NASCAR Cup race of the year to be delayed due to rain, with previous races at Dover, Charlotte, and New Hampshire also taking place on Mondays due to weather-related rescheduling.

Josh Berry, substituting for the sidelined Noah Gragson in the No. 42 Chevrolet, encountered the fourth mishap during the initial 50 laps of the race marked by frequent caution periods.

Subsequently, Corey Lajoie and Blaney made contact on the racetrack as they vied for position beside each other, leading to a tense exchange of words between them on pit row.

During the previous week's event in Richmond, Chris Buescher joined the ranks of playoff-eligible race winners for this year, making him the 12th victor.

This development resulted in four available playoff positions, a scenario that continues with four races, including the upcoming Michigan race, left in the regular season.

Following Truex's triumph in the initial stage, William Byron, who has secured four victories this season, unexpectedly collided with a wall, causing another prominent driver to veer off track without any involvement from another vehicle.

Given the playoff berths on the line, it's probable that emotions will once more escalate during the Monday afternoon NASCAR race.