Hamilton, Georgia.After a rain delay on Saturday night, the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta resumed with Joey Logano leading the field.
Logano dominated the first 36 laps after gaining the pole position before the first caution was prompted by moderate rain. On Lap 43, the drivers were summoned to pit road after remaining on the circuit. After a delay of around fifteen minutes, the race restarted.
The 32-driver In-Season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style competition, makes its debut at the Atlanta race at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Yellow flags were displayed on the windshields of the 32 drivers competing in the In-Season Challenge.
The tournament’s top seed is Denny Hamlin. The No. 2 seed is Chase Briscoe, who defeated Hamlin last week at Pocono Raceway to record his first victory for Joe Gibbs Racing. As part of a new media rights agreement that includes TNT, the winner will receive a $1 million reward.
All three of Team Penske’s drivers started in the top two rows, with Logano at the pole. Josh Berry, who races for Wood Brothers but has a technical partnership with Team Penske, joined Logano in the front row.
Ford finished in the top eight positions overall. Rain forced the caution, and Austin Cindric was in second.
Weather-related problems
Rain and lightning postponed Friday’s qualifying and Nick Sanchez’s victory in the Xfinity race late Friday evening. The race on Saturday night was threatened by more lightning and rain. Due to the terrible weather in the vicinity, fans were advised to leave the stands approximately ninety minutes prior to the race; nevertheless, they were permitted to return once pre-race activities proceeded according to schedule.
Next up
On Sunday, July 6, the Cup Series travels to Chicago for the Chicago Street Race.
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