BRISTOL, Tenn. – Due to the threat of rain for much of the morning hours on Sunday, NASCAR officials have moved up the start time for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway by one hour.
Originally scheduled to take the green flag at 2:13 p.m. Eastern, the start time for the eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the year is now 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
Officials came to the decision early in the day on Saturday, with a 90 percent chance of precipitation through much of the race-day forecast according to the National Weather Service.
Kyle Busch won the pole at the .533-mile concrete oval on Friday evening. He was scheduled to start alongside his older brother, Kurt Busch, but the elder Busch crashed his No. 41 Ford in final practice Saturday and will now start from the rear of the field.
Defending race winner Jimmie Johnson qualified 17th, but will drop to the rear of Sunday’s field due to a cut tire discovered after the second round of knockout qualifying on Friday night.
The Bristol race is the third Cup Series event of the year that has had inclement weather in its race-day forecast.
The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was delayed by rain in February, but ended up running later in the day, while the STP 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway was pushed to Monday last month due to a snowstorm that hit the area the night before the race.
Sunday’s race will be carried live on FOX (television) and the Performance Racing Network (radio).
