Cup Series struggles to get going in damp New Hampshire

NASCAR didn’t put out the green flag when it first sent the Cup Series on-track at a wet New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, but that didn’t stop the race from seeing its first spin.

Two years after the sanctioning body’s first use of wet weather oval tires around the one-mile track, NASCAR briefly sent the field onto the racing surface to gauge the potential to compete during a lingering rainstorm shortly after 2pm ET on Sunday.

Opinions were mixed through the field over whether NASCAR should go for it. But before any serious attempt at a green flag could be considered, the day’s first spin gave NASCAR its answer.

Back in Row 11, behind the second safety vehicle, Carson Hocevar was attempting to accelerate and feel out the Magic Mile’s upper groove when he lost control of his No. 77 Chevrolet and went for a lazy spin off Turn 4.

Last week’s winner, Joey Logano, was riding in under Hocevar and had given the track conditions “two thumbs down” just before the spin.

“Look at this idiot,” Logano joked as Hocevar spun ahead of him. “Geez.”

NASCAR brought the field to pit road shortly afterward. Ten minutes later Hocevar, still seated in his car, chimed in about his slide on social media. “If no one else was gonna test it, I’ll do it,” he said.

The ensuing stoppage was brief. NASCAR brought the field to pit road just past 2:20pm ET and engines were refired by 2:50pm ET.

If there’s good news to come from the brief delay, it’s that it only shifted the Cup Series back toward its planned start time. NASCAR had moved the race up an hour from 3pm ET to 2pm. ET on Friday to give itself the best available window to get the race in. New Hampshire doesn’t have lights to hold racing into the late evening hours.

The Dollar General 301 has an adverse weather cutoff time of 7:05pm ET. If the race is still going at that point, the field will be given two laps before the checkered flag is displayed to end the race.