LONG POND, Pa. — Jimmie Johnson’s White House visit will have to wait. So will the start of the Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway.
Steady rain postponed Sunday’s race, which has been rescheduled for 10:15 a.m. MDT today.
Heavy rain hit the track Sunday morning. It let up about an hour before the scheduled noon MDT start, and the sky brightened for driver introductions. The rain returned and soaked the surface again. There was light rain the rest of the afternoon, forcing the postponement.
There was also some concern about “weepers” — water that seeps up through the track following heavy precipitation. Pocono does not have lights and faced a time crunch to start the race.
“It’s just kind of rough to endure it when you’re here waiting for it to either rain more or rain less,” Bobby Labonte said.
Johnson, the three-time defending Cup champion, was among a group of NASCAR drivers to be honored at the White House by President Barack Obama today. Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet was going to be parked at the White House.
NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said the date of a future visit was being discussed with White House officials.
Massa ready to go home.
Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is on the mend with only some swelling near his left eye and will fly home to Brazil today, nine days after fracturing his skull in a high-speed crash in Hungary.
He will travel on a medical plane with his wife Raffaela, who is six months pregnant with their first child, and family doctor Dino Altmann.
“Thank God, I’m feeling very well,” Massa said Sunday in a statement.
Pegram sets fast pace.
Larry Pegram won the AMA Pro American Superbike race in Topeka, Kan., leading every lap. He finished 0.333 of a second ahead of Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden.
The Associated Press
