Rain halts race at Bristol with Larson in the lead

BRISTOL, TENN. » Kyle Larson will have to wait another day to try to capture his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season.

The race at Bristol Motor Speedway was postponed until April 16 because of heavy rain with Larson out in front. Racing was halted three times April 15 due to wet weather.

Action is scheduled to resume April 16 at 1 p.m.

Larson led 74 laps when the race was halted on lap 204, just 46 laps from it becoming official. NASCAR hopes to complete all remaining 296 laps, although the forecast calls for more rain and possibly snow.

Larson seemed to have found his groove on the track before the third and final red flag came out. NASCAR waited about an hour before officially postponing the race with a forecast of steady rain for the remainder of April 15.

“It’s hard to get a rhythm with all the rain and stuff and then getting out of your car and getting back in,” Larson said.

Larson liked the speed of his car, but said the track was slick.

“There is only a little line there on the bottom that has got some grip,” said Larson, who normally likes to run on the high side of the Bristol track. “If you get out of it, it’s slick. If you get below it, it’s slick. So, it’s been fun, but it’s kind of hard to guess where you need to position your car there for a little while.”

Some drivers won’t have to worry about coming back April 16. Ryan Blaney was dominant early in the No. 12 Ford, leading 99 laps of the first 119 laps before getting caught up in wreck.