The NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway has been postponed to Monday due to inclement weather. The race, which was initially scheduled for Sunday, will resume Monday at 11 a.m. ET, with coverage on USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the NBC Sports App.
Sunday’s race faced multiple delays due to two waves of rain showers, pushing the start time back by nearly two and a half hours. By the time the race was halted, only 51 of the scheduled 200 laps had been completed. At the time of the stoppage, Chase Elliott was leading the race in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, having led for four laps. He was followed by Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, and Tyler Reddick, who rounded out the top five.
Denny Hamlin, who started from the pole position, encountered trouble early when his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spun off Turn 4 while he was running second on lap 38. Despite sliding through the infield grass, Hamlin managed to recover and was in 17th place when the race was paused.
Ryan Blaney, who led for eight laps, secured the Stage 1 win. However, he pitted during the stage intermission, allowing Elliott to take the lead. Before Stage 2 could go green, an approaching shower soaked the track, prompting officials to postpone the remainder of the race.
Kyle Larson, driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, led the most laps in the race with 34 and was scored in seventh place when the event was postponed.
This marks the second consecutive day of weather disruptions at Michigan International Speedway, as rain also interrupted Cup Series practice and washed out Busch Light Pole qualifying, which resulted in the starting grid being set by performance metrics. Saturday's Xfinity Series race, which was delayed by rain, was ultimately won by Justin Allgaier in overtime. Additionally, this is the second straight year that Michigan’s Cup Series race has been forced to finish on a Monday. In 2023, rain halted the race after 74 of 200 laps, with Chris Buescher eventually taking the victory in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford the following day.
As the race continues on Monday, Ford will be vying for its 10th consecutive Cup Series victory at Michigan. Meanwhile, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota are all competing for the prestigious Michigan Heritage Trophy, which is awarded annually to the winning manufacturer at the 2-mile track.
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