NASCAR Cup race at Dover postponed by rain

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander RV 400 has been postponed to Monday afternoon because of rain at Dover International Speedway.

After dodging possible showers Friday and Saturday, a large cell moved through the Dover area early Sunday morning that dumped too much moisture on the Monster Mile.

The Cup race, which was supposed to take place Sunday at 2 p.m., will start at noon, with live coverage on FOX Sports 1. The garage will open at 9 a.m.

NASCAR made numerous attempts to dry the track from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and had a 4:01 p.m. target to drop the green, but with a lingering mist and another shower that later rolled through, the Gander RV 400 just couldn’t get going Sunday.

The Weather Channel pegs just an 8 percent chance of rain from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. Monday, with a 1 percent chance of precipitation by noon and a high of 70 degrees.

It’s the first Cup race postponed this season and the 11th on the schedule. Chase Elliott, coming off his first win of the year at Talladega, will lead the field to green, alongside his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

Kyle Larson, eyeing to halt his 56-race winless drought, starts third. Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, and Clint Bowyer will start in the top 10. Eleven-time Dover winner Jimmie Johnson, who was fastest in final practice Saturday, is set to start 12th. Points leader Kyle Busch starts 22nd.