Cup race at Watkins Glen postponed until Monday

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- The national anthem and invocation were finished. Helmets were strapped on, and safety belts were fastened. The large red and gold grandstand along the frontstretch at Watkins Glen International was crowded with spectators. Over the radio, NASCAR officials passed an alert to drivers: one minute until the command to start engines.

Sunday's Cup event on the 2.45-mile road course was seconds from beginning -- until severe weather intervened.

Thunderstorms passing through the Finger Lakes region forced NASCAR to abandon the start of the Heluva Good! at The Glen, forced track officials to order the evacuation of the grandstands, and ultimately forced the postponement of the race. After waiting out two hours of rainfall and running out of daylight, NASCAR officials postponed the Watkins Glen event until noon Monday. Television coverage will be provided by ESPN.

It's the second consecutive week, following the rainout seven days ago at Pocono Raceway, that the Cup event has been pushed back to Monday by inclement weather. Although Goodyear has road-course rain tires available for use in the Nationwide Series -- which were actually employed two years ago in Montreal -- there is no such option available for NASCAR's premier circuit.

Sunday's event was on the brink of starting when lightning began to flash over the main grandstand, and an announcement was made over the public address system that severe weather was in the area. As thunder rolled and dark clouds loomed over the race track, NASCAR called off the start and told teams to cover their cars. Soon afterward, track officials ordered that spectators in the grandstands seek shelter. Fans slowly filed out of their seats, accompanied by the chanting of Boris Said devotees wearing their trademark curly-haired wigs.

Although the rain had moved out of the area by later in the afternoon, NASCAR officials said they wouldn't have had enough time to dry the track -- a process which would have taken more than two hours -- with enough daylight left to accommodate the scheduled 90-lap distance of the event.

Monday's forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of rain, and the potential for more severe thunderstorms. All tickets from Sunday will be honored, and admission gates will open at 8 a.m.