NASCAR at Texas live updates, results, highlights from 2020 Cup Series playoff race

NASCAR’s Round of 8 playoff race at Texas on Sunday was suspended by persistent mist after just 52 laps and will resume Monday morning if weather permits it.

The tentative plan is to begin the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at 10 a.m. ET. The race will restart at Lap 53 with Clint Bowyer in the lead.

Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five when the race was suspended.

Truex Jr. was docked 20 points for failing a pre-race inspection — a punishment that will stand despite the postponement — and is now in serious trouble in his pursuit of a spot in the championship. There are only three positions remaining after Joey Logano’s win last weekend.

The main one-on-one battle to watch out for Monday is between Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott, who are separated by eight points on either side of the cut-off line.

Below are the Cup Series drivers still championship eligible, ranked by points:

Sporting News tried to track live updates and highlights from Sunday’s NASCAR race at Texas, but instead became a weather blog for more than three hours. You can follow that journey below.

MORE: Watch Monday’s postponed NASCAR race live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

NASCAR at Texas weather updates from 2020 playoff race

8:42 p.m.: UPDATE: The race has been postponed to tomorrow morning.

8:37 p.m.: There hasn’t been a peep about NASCAR’s thinking in a while, but it’s fair to assume a decision is coming in the next hour or so. A midnight race doesn’t seem feasible.

8:02 p.m.: A postponement, by the way, would be big for Kevin Harvick. He hit the wall and went a lap down before the race went into delay. He’d have plenty of time to get his ride figured out and would start back in front if the first 52 laps today are washed out.

7:55 p.m.: Here’s another look at what NASCAR is dealing with.

7:30 p.m.: Texas Motor Speedway issues a statement that doesn’t tell us much we didn’t already know.

7:09 p.m.: Still in a waiting period of NASCAR trying to dry off the track and seeing whether the mist goes away. Again, Texas does have lights, so there is still time to get this in before the race needs to be postponed.

6:56 p.m.: NASCAR has brought its drying machines back out, for what it’s worth. But no official word on when a restart might happen.

6:37 p.m.: Good news. Maybe.

6:15 p.m.: Here’s the current view of the track.

6:02 p.m.: What a weird weather pattern in Texas. It’s a fog-like mist, not downpour, that’s keeping us waiting.

5:48 p.m.: Alex Bowman shares his perspective of the delay.

5:38 p.m.: NASCAR says it’s making negative progress.

5:26 p.m.: Cars remain covered at Texas.

4:55 p.m.: It could be a long while until we see a green flag.

4:48 p.m.: Texas does have lights, for what it’s worth.

4:35 p.m.: Red flag.

4:30 p.m.: Harvick is struggling to figure out what’s wrong with his car after hitting the wall.

4:28 p.m.: Yikes.

4:19 p.m.: Caution finally out for the weather.

4:16 p.m.: Harvick’s team is upset the race isn’t yellow for the moisture.

4:15 p.m.: There’s a low mist that might be making the track surface slick.

4:13 p.m.: Harvick into the wall.

4:11 p.m.: Green at Lap 27.

4:03 p.m.: Caution for JJ Yeley.

4:00 p.m.: Kevin Harvick is maintaining an early lead.

3:56 p.m.: Back to green.

3:53 p.m.: Caution for Chris Buescher on the fifth lap.

3:49 p.m.: Green flag.

3:48 p.m.: Truex Jr. sends a message to his team.

3:30 p.m.: The green flag is supposed to come at 3:47 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies are underway.

NASCAR race start time today

The Round of 8 NASCAR playoff race at Texas on Sunday should begin at about 3:30 p.m. ET.

The race is 334 laps spread over three stages and will become official after Lap 167. The distance of the race is 501 miles.

NASCAR at Texas starting lineup

Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Texas:

(P) Playoff driver.

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