May 1, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Mother Nature drowns Dover Cup contest, racing resumes on Monday

Sunday’s DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway was halted by rain after 78 laps and ultimately postponed until 12 noon ET Monday when the inclement weather persisted.

Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson had assumed the lead on Lap 74 after second-place starter Denny Hamlin brought his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing car to pit road under the second caution of the race, called by NASCAR when rain began falling at the one-mile concrete track.

"My car feels pretty good," Larson said. "I think Denny is a touch better than I am, but out of the guys I've been around, I feel like we're close. So, just keep adjusting on it throughout the race, and try to maintain good track position and I feel like we'll have a good shot. 

"It feels like normal Dover. The dirty air doesn't seem as bad as I've been anticipating, so that's encouraging. And my HendrickCars.com Chevrolet feels good. I just have to keep tweaking on it and I think we'll be really good."

Pole winner Chris Buescher led the first 18 laps before Hamlin passed him for the top spot on Lap 19 and held it for 55 circuits before pitting.

The resumption of the race will be broadcast on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.