Texas NASCAR race resumes after lengthy rain delay

After an almost six-hour delay due to rain, Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race is underway at Texas Motor Speedway.

The AAA Texas 500 was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, but rain began falling immediately following the national anthem. Because of ongoing showers and how difficult it is to dry the 1.5-mile oval, the start time was pushed to just before 8 p.m. ET.

Texas is the latest in a string of races hampered by inclement weather throughout the 2016 season. The list of events that have been either delayed or postponed includes the spring Texas race in April, which was delayed nearly two hours, along with Bristol Motor Speedway’s August race, Pocono Raceway’s June and August races, and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s October race, which was shifted from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon due to Hurricane Matthew.

Texas is the second of three races in the semifinal round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Of the eight remaining drivers in NASCAR’s playoff, four will advance to the championship race Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the highest finisher among the four will be crowed champion. Jimmie Johnson secured his spot with a victory last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

Austin Dillon, who is no longer title eligible, led the field to the green flag after capturing the pole in qualifying on Friday. Championship contenders Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick started second and third, respectively.