FORT WORTH, Texas - The NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway was postponed Sunday night after 52 laps on a misty day in which the conditions slowly deteriorated to drizzle.
A planned restart for 10 a.m. Eastern on Monday was announced after a wait of more than four hours, but the forecast isn't promising with a 90% chance of rain overnight and the forecast high temperature barely reaching 50 degrees.
Clint Bowyer emerged as the leader with Jimmie Johnson second in the last Texas Motor Speedway race as full-time Cup Series drivers for both veterans.
The cars kept running for eight laps after the weather caution first came out as jet dryers circled the track. The cars sat uncovered on pit road for about half an hour before the tarps came out and the drivers and crews headed for cover.
It was fitting that Bowyer and seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson were leading when the race was stopped. Both were honored before the race, with victory lane being named after Johnson. His seven Cup Series wins are the most on the 1.5-mile, high-banked tri-oval.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott named Johnson an honorary Texan. The 45-year-old is planning to run a part-time IndyCar schedule next year.
The 41-year-old Bowyer, a 10-time winner in 16 Cup Series seasons and twice a runner-up in Texas, plans to move into the broadcast booth next season.
"Jimmie and Clint are tremendous ambassadors of our sport, both on and off the track, so we wanted to do something special for their final time here," track president Eddie Gossage said.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr. was moved to the back of the field because of an illegal spoiler, and crew chief James Small was ejected. Truex, also fined $35,000 and docked 20 points in a blow to his championship outlook, was all the way up to fifth when the race was stopped.
Joey Logano is the only driver guaranteed a spot in the final four contenders in the Nov. 8 season finale at Phoenix Raceway after winning the first of three qualifying races last week at Kansas Speedway. The last playoff race in the round of eight is next Sunday at Virginia's Martinsville Speedway.
Kevin Harvick, who has won the past three fall races at Texas and is a nine-time winner this season, is in the best shape among the other seven playoff contenders.
Harvick brushed the wall while leading on the 29th lap as the track conditions worsened and came away with some damage to his right side, but his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford was running when the 334-lap race was halted, with Harvick one lap down in 36th.