The FireKeepers 400 NASCAR race at Brooklyn, Mich., was suspended until Monday due to inclement weather. The race, which was delayed and interrupted by rain, reached Lap 51 of the 200-lap Cup race before cars went to pit road to wait for the weather to clear. The aim was to complete at least half of the race to make it official and avoid extending it to an extra day, as was the case last year at Michigan.
The race was scheduled to resume at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday after being halted on Sunday. Austin Dillon, amidst dark clouds during driver introductions, received some boos from the crowd. This came a week after his involvement in a wreck with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin at Richmond Raceway.
Hamlin, who started on the pole following a rainout of qualifying on Saturday, saw the race delayed further due to precipitation, leading to cars being sent to pit row after a few pace laps. Efforts were made to dry the track using jet dryers, but the weather did not cooperate, resulting in a delay of over two hours.
When the race finally resumed, Kyle Larson took the lead on the opening lap, reaching speeds of over 200 mph on straightaways and around 180 mph in the turns. Bubba Wallace made a bold move to pass Larson and Hamlin when they raced side by side on Lap 36, drawing a smile from team co-owner Michael Jordan.
However, Hamlin's attempt to regain ground behind Wallace led to him losing control of his car, triggering a yellow flag. Wallace opted for a pit stop, sacrificing a chance to win points in the first stage in favor of a strategic fuel and tire plan. Ryan Blaney capitalized on this to finish first after 45 laps.
With 12 drivers already securing playoff spots, four spots remain open with three races left at Michigan, Daytona, and Darlington. Following the FireKeepers 400, drivers and teams face a quick turnaround for qualifying on Friday ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday night in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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