NASCAR at Texas live updates: Race postponed until Monday for wet track

Note: This story is from Sunday’s postponed race. For live updates from Monday’s NASCAR race at Texas, click here.

NASCAR returns to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Round of 8 in the Cup Series playoffs. The Autotrader Echopark Automotive 500 is on NBCSN.

The race at the 1.5-mile oval will be 501 miles (334 laps) with stages breaks on laps 105, 210 and 334. Click here for a live NASCAR leaderboard.

Joey Logano secured a win at Kansas last weekend to advance to the Championship 4. He is starting in the front row behind Kevin Harvick on the pole.

Follow along here for lap-by-lap updates for the Autotrader Echopark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Refresh this page for the latest updates and follow NASCAR reporter Alex Andrejev on Twitter at @AndrejevAlex.

7:43 p.m., Red Flag: Race postponed to Monday morning

Cup drivers raced 52 laps before mist — not rain — stunted NASCAR’s plans to complete its second-to-last Round of 8 playoff race Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

The yellow flag came out for a damp track less than halfway through the first stage, then the red flag followed as a cloud of mist settled over the track. The delay lasted just over four hours before NASCAR officially postponed the race to Monday morning at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. EST) on NBCSN.

Before NASCAR threw the flag, the wet weather impacted leading playoff drivers. Hamlin and Harvick both dipped from top spots while the race was green. Hamlin was racing in the top-five before getting wide rounding a turn, which he was able to save from a complete spin, but which still put him into the bottom-20.

Harvick said the slippery track got to him.

“I was not expecting it to be that slick and just ended up in the fence,” Harvick told NBCSN early into the red flag delay.

The No. 4 Ford driver was leading when he went wide and hit the wall, which forced him to pit for repairs and sent him a lap down. He was still one lap down when the caution flag, followed by the red flag, came out. He’ll restart in 36th place and one lap down. Hamlin will start 15th Monday.

Other drivers were cycling through pit stops at the flag, putting Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson in first and second place, respectively, for Monday’s restart.

Before the race went green, playoff driver Martin Truex Jr. was deducted 20 driver and owner points for a spoiler that NASCAR deemed was not properly used on his No. 19 Toyota. In addition to losing points, Truex Jr. is also working with an interim crew chief, Blake Harris, since crew chief James Small is suspended for the race.

With the penalty, Truex dropped to -51 points below the four-driver cutoff to advance to Phoenix. He still raced up to fifth place by the flag. The Autotrader Echopark Automotive 500 will resume on Lap 53 Monday morning and NASCAR will attempt to complete all 334 laps to potentially deem another Championship 4 driver.

NASCAR driver points standings

NASCAR race starting order (Monday)

*Playoff driver

7:08 p.m., Red Flag: Track still damp

The track drying team continues its efforts, but there is no visible, significant improvement to the track condition. The Air Titans are still kicking up water as they round Turn 1 in front of the remaining fans, which have been reduced to a dozen every hundred yards in the grandstands.

6:28 p.m., Red Flag: Is the NASCAR race still on?

NASCAR officials report over the radio that the mist is lighter in Turns 3 and 4, but still there is still mist in Turns 1 and 2. The Air Titans and track driers continue to make loops, but the NASCAR race is still on. It’s getting darker at the track, but there is no curfew so the race could run late into the night if needed. That is, if the mist stops enough for the track to dry. NASCAR has not provided an estimated restart time. It has called jet driers in to refuel.

5:45 p.m., Red Flag: Mist lightens

NASCAR sends its jet dryers back onto the track, which begin making rounds after the pace car reports that the mist has lightened, according to NBC Sports. Air Titans and jet driers make laps for double duty drying efforts.

5:15 p.m., Red Flag: Has the NASCAR race been postponed or canceled?

NASCAR reports it is still misting around 6 p.m. EST, but the race has not been postponed. There appears to be a window in the next hour where weather conditions could dry. Because of scheduling for its remaining playoff races (Martinsville then Phoenix) and the fact that the track has lights, NASCAR will attempt to complete this race tonight.

4:45 p.m., Red Flag: Track getting wetter

NASCAR tells its jet dryers to shut down and get fuel so that when the mist stops, they will be ready to resume efforts. For now, though, they’re not making much progress and the damp weather continues. This race could go fairly late, as only 52 laps were completed before the flag. The halfway point on Lap 167 would make the race official.

4:25 p.m., Red Flag: Does Texas Motor Speedway have lights?

Track drying efforts continue as mist persists and teams cover their cars. Fans also file out of the grandstands with a long delay expected. The speedway has lights, so the race would be able to run into the evening. The forecast in Fort Worth Monday through Wednesday includes rain, so NASCAR will try to finish the race this evening, although the delay could be a while.

3:56 p.m., Red Flag: Track drying continues

NASCAR radios that it’s “lost the track once again” as track dryers work on wet spots. Rain spots don’t appear on the radar, but the humidity is above 90 percent, according to NASCAR weather reporters.

“I was not expecting it to be that slick and just ended up in the fence,” Harvick says on the NBCSN broadcast. “I think it’ll be okay. We just have a couple things we’ve got to tweak.”

3:33 p.m., Lap 52: Red flag

Cars stop on pit road as the red flag comes out. Drivers are out of their cars but NASCAR tells teams to “stay close.”

3:21 p.m., Lap 45: Caution out for wet weather

The caution comes out for light precipitation. Rain is visible on camera, but not from the press box. Clouds are low and the sky is gray, and drivers were complaining of rain on the radio before NASCAR brings out the yellow.

3:10 p.m., Lap 30: Harvick, Hamlin drop from front

Keselowski takes four new tires on pit road, relinquishing his second place spot and dropping below the bottom-10. After the restart, Hamlin gets wide, but is able to save his car before wrecking. That’s a big blow, though, and he drops to 28th. A few laps later, Harvick hits the outside wall running in the lead and is forced to pit for repairs. He goes a lap down as Bowman inherits the lead.

3:03 p.m., Lap 22: Second yellow

The race goes green (barely) before another yellow flag comes out, again for an incident in Turn 2. This time it’s Yeley’s car, which has significant damage to the rear. At the flag, Truex has moved up to the top-20 (19th) since starting at the back. The running order is Harvick, Keselowski, Bowman, Logano and DiBenedetto.

2:51 p.m., Lap 5: Green flag, then caution

A caution comes out in the first five laps of the race for Buescher, who hits the Turn 2 wall. Harvick leads all opening laps. He is followed by Keselowski and Bowman at the flag.

2:38 p.m.: Engines fired

Pre-race ceremonies get underway after a dramatic end to the Trucks race at Texas, which was won by Sheldon Creed. Jimmie Johnson’s father, Gary Johnson, gives the command to start engines as more fans file into the stands. A four-jet flyover follows as the race gets ready to start.

2:30 p.m.: Truex gets penalized, others to the back

Truex Jr.’s No. 19 team suffers a large penalty before the race for a spoiler that was not used as supplied by the manufacturer. He is deducted 20 driver points and will start at the rear, as well as work with an interim crew chief for the race. Suárez and Finchum also twice failed pre-race inspection and will start at the back, as will the No. 53 of Smithley for unapproved adjustments.

NASCAR PLAYOFF RACE AT TEXAS STARTING LINEUP

*Playoff driver

This story was originally published October 25, 2020 at 3:57 PM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription