Lightning, rain halt NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville

Lightning, rain halt NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville

Lightning and heavy rain at Nashville Superspeedway paused the NASCAR Cup Series race for the second time of the day at Lap 140 Sunday evening.

MORE: Live leaderboard | At-track photos

Lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the track delayed the Ally 400 before significant rain doused the track. Racing resumed shortly after 10 p.m. ET. Coverage continues on USA Network, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

A 30-minute stoppage is mandated whenever lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the race track. The first stoppage of the race was issued at Lap 42. After multiple lightning strikes and a delay of a little more than an hour, the race resumed when NASCAR gave the all-clear signal. The second pause lasted just over two hours.

Denny Hamlin has dominated the event and maintains the lead at the red flag. His No. 11 Toyota has paced the field for 78 of the 139 completed laps. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell run second, third and fifth, respectively. Kevin Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing Ford completes the top five in fourth place.

The race is not deemed official until the halfway mark is reached, which is Lap 150 at Nashville.