The NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400 abruptly came to a stop with only 52 laps on the count, as bad weather forced drivers and their crews to scramble to the safety of pit road. This comes after the Michigan International Speedway race faced a delay before it even began as teams covered their cars and prepared for an uncertain wait.
The race started with drivers keen to secure their positions early. Bubba Wallace, leading the pack, opted for a pit stop approaching the end of Stage 1, aiming for an advantage with a fuel top-up which didn't work out.
This decision opened the door for Ryan Blaney, who seized the opportunity to claim the stage victory. Despite this, Wallace managed a commendable recovery back to fourth place by the stage's end, maintaining his strong standing in the playoff contest.
The stage concluded with other great performances, including Chase Elliott in second place, and William Byron in third, all earning crucial stage points. However, the race's momentum was disrupted by an incident involving Denny Hamlin.
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Attempting an aggressive attack to overtake Wallace for the lead, Hamlin lost aerodynamic stability, resulting in a spin that led his car to an unceremonial halt in the infield with minor damage.
The scene over the team radio was tense. Hamlin, clearly frustrated with his misjudgment, expressed remorse to his crew chief, Chris Gabeheart.
“Sorry about that Chris [Gabeheart] F**k, I should have taken what I had.”
“Yeah, we still had time but we make mistakes and move on,” his crew chief Chris Gabeheart responded.
As the weather worsened, NASCAR officials kept a close eye on radar screens, which showed a significant weather cell approaching, threatening further delays or even a possible race cancellation. The rules stipulate that for a race to count officially, at least 100 laps must be completed.
With the continuation hanging in the balance and a potential extended deadline until 8:20 p.m. ET, teams and fans have been left in suspense, hoping for a break in the weather to resume the action.
2025 NASCAR Race Calendar
The race calendar for 2025 is yet to be finalised and confirmed. However, this is what we know so far, as reported by DailyDownforce.com:
- February 16th: Daytona 500
- May 18th: All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
- May 25th: Coca-Cola 600
- June 28th: Atlanta
- July 6th: Chicago Street Race
- August 24th: Daytona Summer Race
The reported playoff calendar is as follows, as Newsweek previously reported:
Round 1
Aug. 31: Darlington Raceway
Sept. 7: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Sept. 13: Bristol Motor Speedway
Round 2
Sept. 21: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 28: Kansas Speedway
Oct. 5: Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval
Round 3
Oct. 12: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 19: Talladega Superspeedway
Oct. 26: Martinsville Speedway
Championship
Nov. 2: Phoenix Raceway
