RELATED: See every car | Full schedule for Atlanta
Rain delayed the start of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway but racing commenced just at 3:32 p.m. ET.
NASCAR and track officials made adjustments Saturday to the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500’s start time, moving it up by 70 minutes to a projected green flag of 1:06 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). But showers dampened the 1.54-mile facility Sunday morning, placing the series’ second race of the year on hold for a delay of nearly two and a half hours.
Race officials had a solid contingent of track-drying equipment at the Georgia venue: 11 NASCAR Air Titans, six conventional jet-dryers, two track vacuums, two Elgin sweepers and one tractor broom.
Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman made up the front row and lead the field to the green flag. Busch won the pole in Friday’s qualifying. No. 2 starter Newman was fastest in final practice for the Monster Energy Series.
There will be a competition caution on Lap 30. The first stage will end on Lap 85 and the second stage will end on Lap 170.