TALLADEGA, Ala. – The NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway was rescheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday after persistent rain backed the event into too tight of a window to run as scheduled on Sunday afternoon.
The 500-mile race was delayed almost two hours before NASCAR made one attempt at starting, but rain began to fall again as the cars circled the 2.66-mile track behind the pace car.
Talladega does not have lights – the second-tier Xfinity Series race on Saturday ended six laps early because of impending darkness – and the lengthy delay meant flirting with sunset even if the race started. Talladega’s 500 miles average a run time of 3 hours, 41 minutes, and NASCAR does not like to start a race unless it expects to go to completion.
Compounding the scheduling problem was that the race was the lead-in telecast to NBC showing Sunday night’s football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the host New England Patriots – highlighted by the return of quarterback Tom Brady to face his former team – and the NFL matchup would have taken priority.
NBC Sports Network will televise the rescheduled race, but as of Sunday evening, forecasts called for rain in the area on Monday, Tuesday and part of Wednesday.