NASCAR Throws Lightning Caution at EchoPark Speedway During Quaker State 400
· Yahoo Sports
Lightning has halted Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway.
NASCAR displayed the caution flag on Lap 108 of the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart after lightning moved into the area surrounding the 1.54-mile Georgia oval, bringing the race to a temporary stop under the sport’s weather safety protocol.
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The caution came as storms approached the speedway, forcing the field to slow while officials monitored conditions.
Why NASCAR stopped the race
Unlike a traditional rain delay, NASCAR’s lightning policy requires competition to be halted whenever lightning is detected within the sanctioning body’s designated safety radius around the track.
Once the lightning protocol is activated, a mandatory 30-minute clock begins. If another lightning strike is detected before that timer expires, the countdown resets, extending the delay.
Weather radar showed a line of storms approaching EchoPark Speedway, with lightning in the vicinity of the track as NASCAR officials implemented the safety procedure.
When could the race resume?
As of this update, NASCAR has not announced a restart time.
The earliest the Quaker State 400 could resume is 30 minutes after the last detected lightning strike within NASCAR’s safety radius. Additional lightning would restart that countdown and further delay the race.
The weather interruption comes during one of the biggest races remaining in the Cup Series regular season, with Ryan Blaney leading the field to green after winning the pole in qualifying. Team Penske teammate Joey Logano started alongside him on the front row.
This story will be updated as NASCAR provides additional information on the weather delay and a restart time.