NASCAR playoff race postponed due to rain

NASCAR’s playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway was washed out and rescheduled for Monday because persistent rain backed the series into too tight of a window to run as scheduled.

The race was initially delayed almost two hours and NASCAR made one attempt Sunday at starting the 500-miler. But it began to rain again as the cars circled the 2.66-mile superspeedway behind the pace car.

Talladega doesn’t have lights and the lengthy delay meant NASCAR would flirt with sunset if it even started the race.

Early weather reports called for rain in Alabama on Monday, as well. Same for Tuesday and part of Wednesday.

MLB: The Boston Red Sox clinched a playoff berth on the regular season’s final day and will host the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game after coming back to beat the Washington Nationals 7-5 on a tiebreaking two-run homer by Rafael Devers in the ninth inning Sunday.

College football: Police arrested a man in connection with the shooting death of Utah sophomore CB Aaron Lowe. Homicide detectives with the Salt Lake City Police Department located Buk M. Buk, 22, and booked him on charges of aggravated murder, attempted murder and felony discharge of a firearm. Lowe, 21, was shot at a house party just after midnight Sept. 26. A 20-year-old woman also was shot and critically injured at the party.

Golf: Former Masters champ Danny Willett of England earned a two-stroke victory at the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland. It was Willett’s eighth professional win and first since the BMW PGA Championship in September 2019 . ... France’s Celine Boutier birdied two of her last three holes to claim a one-stroke victory at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J.