HAMPTON, Ga. — The remnants from Tropical Storm Lee pushed through the Atlanta area with a fury, bringing heavy rain and fierce wind. NASCAR only hopes the miserable weather is gone by today.
The Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was postponed Sunday night when the outer bands of the storm doused the track before the drivers could even start their engines. Given the gloomy forecast, officials didn’t even bother trying to hold the race Monday. That turned out to be a good call. Most of Georgia was under tornado and flood watches, with thunderstorms expected through the evening.
The outlook for the AdvoCare 500 was much better for today, though there still was a 30 percent chance of additional showers.
Atlanta is the next-to-last race before the Chase for the championship begins, so it will have huge ramifications for those trying to hang on to their playoff spot (Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski) and those (Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne) trying to get in.
Stewart is clinging to a 21-point lead for the 10th spot, which he must maintain unless he wins his first race of the season.
“We haven’t shown the strength that we typically do in the summer months,” said Stewart, who won this race a year ago. “I can’t say that I’m ecstatic where we’re at.”
