NASCAR has battled with Mother Nature all weekend long and, so far, she has a 2-0 lead over the sport at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Big Machine Vodka 400 has become the latest victim.
Rain forced the postponement of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday afternoon (Sept. 9). The race joins the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 in what will become a doubleheader on Monday, Sept. 10. It is the first time in the 25-year history of the Brickyard 400 that it will run on a Monday. It’s also the first time a doubleheader has ever taken place at Indianapolis.
The last doubleheader to take place with Cup and XFINITY came in 2016 at Dover International Speedway. Mother Nature’s rainy weekend has also forced just the second doubleheader since 2010.
The XFINITY Series race is scheduled to go green at 10 a.m. ET, while the Brickyard 400 will start at 2 p.m. ET. Both events will still be seen on NBCSN.
2018 was the first year Indianapolis has been moved to become the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale. But the road to the playoffs will have to wait another day with Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman remaining on the bubble. Both men will earn the final two slots in the 16-driver postseason field as long as someone else below them doesn’t win the race.
Will anyone notice?
Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, and Chase Elliott but not Ryan Blaney will try to become the first driver to sweep a double-header on the same day. Kyle Busch finished first and second at Daytona on July 7, 2007.
how come Ryan Blaney can’t sweep? he’s in both races, so is Ross Chastain even though Ross hasn’t a snowballs chance.
Rommy,
You’re wrong, Kyle Busch swept the Richmond fall race in 2009, driving the Combo’s car in the Busch Series and the M & M’s car in the Cup Series. I was there.