Persistent rain on Sunday and a lack of track lighting at Talladega Superspeedway has pushed the start of The YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race to a noon local (1 p.m. ET) Monday start. The race originally was scheduled to take take the green flag at approximately 1 p.m. Sunday.
Rain before the scheduled Sunday start resulted in that start arriving and passing with drying equipment on the track. After additional mist, engines were fired and cars were on the track to start the race shortly after 2:30 p.m. But rain returned, drowning hopes of a Sunday start.
Denny Hamlin will be on the pole for Monday’s start, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch alongside in second.
The YellaWood 500 is the second race of the second round, or round of 12, of the Cup Series playoffs. Hamlin already has secured his advancement to round three with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 26. Hecis the only driver already locked into the next round.
