NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Sprint Cup race stopped due to rain

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:11 p.m. ET

foxsports

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) The Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway was stopped because of continuing bad weather in the area.

The start was delayed more than an hour, then NASCAR officials threw the red flag to halt things 38 laps in as the rain would not let up.

Kyle Busch is the race leader with Chase Elliott in second, Ryan Blaney third, Denny Hamlin fourth and Matt Kenseth fifth. Pole-sitter Carl Edwards had fallen to seventh when the race was stopped.

The race was scheduled for 8 p.m., but drivers and fans sat for more than hour waiting for lightning, hail and rain to clear the area. Race teams covered up the cars with tarps and race officials encouraged fans to leave the grandstand as the storm approached.