The start of Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway — the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 — has been delayed by rain.
The 500-lap race was set to take the green flag at 8 p.m. ET, but wet weather has dampened the track and drying efforts have commenced. Coverage of the race can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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This is the eighth points-paying event of the 2021 season and the Cup Series has seen seven different winners in as many races to open the campaign.
Bristol dirt winner Joey Logano is set to start from the pole position with Denny Hamlin beside him on the front row. William Byron and Ryan Blaney will make up Row 2. Reigning Cup Series champion and most recent Martinsville winner Chase Elliott will start fifth with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. starting sixth. Defending race winner Martin Truex Jr. will start seventh.
Stage 1 of the race is set to finish on Lap 130. Stage 2 will end on Lap 260 and the scheduled end will be at Lap 500.
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Rain also delayed the start of Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 and later halted the race after just 91 of its scheduled 250 laps. That race will resume Sunday at noon ET with coverage on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.