NASCAR postpones Crayon 301 at New Hampshire due to weather, announces new date, start time

NASCAR has made the decision to postpone Sunday’s Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway due to heavy rain in the Loudon area.

The race, originally scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET, will instead be held Monday at Noon, per Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. Pockrass added that NASCAR has confidence it can get the full 301 laps (318 miles) completed with temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s with less than a 10% chance of rain in the forecast.

This is the third consecutive week that rain has impacted the NASCAR Cup Series. Both the Chicago Street Race and the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway were shortened due to rain. It also becomes the third race this season to be outright postponed to Monday (Dover, Charlotte).

Christopher Bell will lead the field to green when the race commences after winning the pole during Saturday’s qualifying session. Bell, who sits fourth in the points standings, is looking to make it back-to-back at New Hampshire after taking the checkered flag in last year’s Ambetter 301.

Bell revealed the keys to victory in the Crayon 301 following the qualifying session.

“The amount of sliding around we did today, the lack of grip, I think the cream is going to rise to the top [in the race],” Bell said, via NASCAR.com. “The good drivers, good cars will be able to pass and get their way to the front. I start at the front and hopefully we stay up there. But this is a place where people will try different strategies by staying out, taking two tires, short-pitting, long-pitting, whatever the case may be. So you’re not guaranteed to just start out front and stay there all day.”

Bubba Wallace ‘locked in’ on winning after qualifying P8 for Crayon 301 at New Hampshire

Monday’s race represents a big opportunity for Bubba Wallace, who is still looking for his first victory of the season. After a string of poor runs, Wallace has slipped below the playoff cut-line on points — surpassed by Michael McDowell.

Starting P8 in the Crayon 301, Wallace knows he must get after it.

“Regular season is closing in, we see it,” Wallace tweeted Saturday. “Eyes are locked in on the checkered. Time to shift our momentum and rebound. Rolling off P8 tomorrow, nothing left to do but get after it.”