The race at Michigan International Speedway was rescheduled for noon Monday.
It's not the first time NASCAR has had to deal with weather issues this season. This marks the fourth time in 23 races weather has forced a postponement. Events at Richmond International Raceway and Darlington Raceway, scheduled for Saturday nights, were moved to Sunday. Dover International Speedway's scheduled Sunday event was run the next day.
"If we can't get it in (today), we will look to Tuesday," said Ramsey Poston, NASCAR's managing director of corporate communications.
As of Sunday evening, the National Weather Service was calling for an 80-percent chance of rain on Monday, but dropping to 40-percent on Tuesday and to 30-percent on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press
Poston said NASCAR would consider Wednesday, although he acknowledged it might not be feasible because teams need time to move equipment to Bristol, Tenn., to prepare for Saturday's race.
"The weather has really let everyone down, and it doesn't look much better for (today)," said Frank Kerr, crew chief for Toyota driver David Reutimann. "It's frustrating. I just hope we get it in before the end of the year."
If the race can't be held this week, Poston said it would be rescheduled for the Friday after Thanksgiving.
If that occurs, it would affect the Chase lineup because the rulebook states the Chase standings are finalized after the 26th event and the winner is determined by the results of the final 10 races.
The Richmond race Sept. 8 is scheduled to be the final race in determining the 12-driver standings. If the 3M Performance 400 is moved to the end of the schedule, the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sept. 16 would become the final race for determining the Chase standings and the race at Michigan would be the last event.
Sunday's postponement is the first Cup race postponement at MIS since Aug. 21, 1977.
Even amid constant rain Sunday, NASCAR and track officials waited until 3 p.m., one hour after the scheduled start, to postpone, knowing today's forecast calls for rain.
If the race can't be held until after Thanksgiving, it would mark the latest a Cup race has been run at MIS. A Thanksgiving week race at MIS certainly would be different from one in August: the average temperature about that time would be just above freezing.
"Whatever happens you adapt to," said Eddie Wood, co-owner of the No. 21 Ford. "If we have to stay here until Wednesday, it's OK."
NASCAR has not had a race rained out on back-to-back days since Talladega Superspeedway in 1997.
Credit: USA Today
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