Rain forces NASCAR to move Michigan race to Monday

Despite the best efforts of track officials, Mother Nature got the better of Michigan International Speedway.

The FireKeepers Casino, the 15th race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, was rescheduled for Monday after persistent rain kept drivers from taking the green flag.

Fox Sports 1 will televise the 400mile, 200-lap race beginning at 5 p.m. ET following the broadcasts of two Women’s World Cup matches in France.

Precipitation hit the Brooklyn, Michigan, area in the early afternoon, prompting a delay from the original start time of 2:10.

As the rain let up, track dryers readied the 2-mile oval for racing and a planned 3:05 start. Drivers began taking warm-up laps in preparation for the green flag, but just as officials signaled one lap to go before the yellow flag was replaced with the green, the rain returned, and drivers were forced to bring their cars back to pit road.

NASCAR officials, hoping the rain would clear out, waited until 4:35 before announcing the postponement. Michigan International Speedway does not have lights, so a night race was not a possibility.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano, who topped Saturday’s qualifying, will lead the field to green on Monday alongside Aric Almirola.

The Cup Series returns to Michigan on Aug. 11 for another Sunday afternoon race.

The series is off next weekend before a June 23 stop at Sonoma Raceway in California for the first roadcourse race of the season.