Rain-Interrupted Quaker State 400 After Penske Secures Front Row

Team Penske locked the front row for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Ryan Blaney captured the pole with a 30.815-second lap at 179.912 mph, while teammate Joey Logano qualified second with a 30.851-second lap at 179.702 mph. The Penske Fords joined a field that included Kyle Larson (third) and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott (sixth and seventh). Points leader Denny Hamlin and second-place Tyler Reddick qualified 28th and 31st, respectively.

ESPNLightning and rain cause delay with Blaney leading NASCAR Cup Series race in AtlantaSportskeeda

The race faced a high probability of thunderstorms. The National Weather Service projected a 55-60 % chance of rain around the scheduled 7:19 p.m. ET start, easing to roughly 30 % after 9:00 p.m. ET. Track temperature hovered near 89 °F with a heat index around 96 °F. As a fast-moving storm approached, NASCAR officials ordered cars off the track and instructed fans to leave the grandstand. Lightning and rain forced a red-flag at lap 108 of Stage 2.

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NASCAR announced that the event would be declared official after 130 laps, half the scheduled 260-lap distance. The race remained slated for 400 miles, with teams retaining nine sets of Goodyear tires. Despite the delay, Blaney led the field when the stoppage occurred, and points leader Hamlin advanced from 28th to 15th in the running order.

Lightning and rain cause delay with Blaney leading NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta

• “Feels good to have a Penske front row,” — Ryan Blaney

ESPN

• “They normally don't qualify great at these speedways,” — Ryan Blaney

ESPN

• “Track activities on hold as this storm moves through. Forecast for tonight is 60% chance of storms. So far today they are fast moving ones but ones tonight might move a little slower. Typically, here it is just a matter of hit-or-miss with these storms,” — Bob Pockrass

Sportskeeda

• “ATLANTA CUP RACE WEATHER FUTURECAST: Slightly more optimism for the Cup race later this evening down in Hampton, GA. They will be dodging storms all night, so there is the chance for downpours, storms, and lightning delays. Storms increase overnight. Fingers crossed.” — Brandon Lawson

Sportskeeda

The Quaker State 400’s outcome will hinge on whether the remaining storms clear, a pattern echoed by previous weather-shortened races at Atlanta in 2023 and 2025.

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