The skies over Dover Motor Speedway turned dramatic during the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, with Mother Nature throwing a wrench into the action. Red flag for rain! With just 14 laps to go, the red flag waved on lap 387 as rain took over, halting the race with Denny Hamlin holding the lead.
Pit road hadn’t opened for stops, leaving cars rolling to pit road at the Monster Mile as the downpour intensified. The cutoff time for darkness looms at 8:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. CT, and with the track soaked, drying it will take more than a quick wipe-down as it’s shaping up to be a lengthy delay.
Cars have been brought to pit road due to rain at the @MonsterMile
The red flag is out on Lap 387. pic.twitter.com/jIYDkJzTFU
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 20, 2025
Fans are bracing for a wait as the storm rolls through. Rain has been a pesky guest at Dover in years past, spoiling the party with its unpredictable timing. Earlier years saw showers delay the green flag or even push races to the next day, with crews scrambling to keep the show on track. It’s a familiar dance with the weather at this concrete beast, and today’s downpour is just the latest chapter in that soggy history.
The debut of Goodyear’s D-5240 (left side) and D-5260 (right side) tires at Dover represents a high-risk variable. These tires were developed specifically for Dover’s concrete surface and adjusted race date (July instead of April), introducing previously untested compounds into competition.
Legacy Motorsports’ sharing of a severely damaged tire from Erik Jones’ car hints at excessive wear or compound fragility, already causing concern among drivers and strategists. In recent seasons, NASCAR’s use of wet-weather tires and racing protocols on damp ovals marks a strategic evolution.
With NASCAR pushing to avoid lengthy delays or stoppages, including at Dover where high-banked corners collect water unpredictably, tire considerations now directly influence in-race strategy.
Transition readiness means teams must prepare for faster tire changes between slicks and wet-weather tires, especially if light rain is expected without a red flag. Compound conservation is key, as wet-weather tires overheat and degrade rapidly on drying tracks, forcing teams to manage stint lengths and sometimes sacrifice lap times to extend tire life.
Downforce and brake bias adjustments are critical, with teams tweaking wedge or track bar settings during pit stops to reduce spins. Crew communication priority kicks in, with spotters and crew chiefs glued to weather radars to time tire changes before rain shifts, as reactive strategies lose track position fast.
Stage 2 Updates
Stage 2 of the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 brought some electric moments, with Christopher Bell snagging the win by about four seconds over Alex Bowman, who passed Denny Hamlin for second late in the stage. The top 10 lined up with Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, and Bubba Wallace showing their strength.
The stage wasn’t without hiccups, though. AJ Allmendinger hit trouble on lap 218 with an issue, pulling in for an unscheduled stop, marking yet another mishap for the No. 16 Kaulig Racing team. A couple laps later, he was back down pit road and behind the wall with a right-rear brakes issue, joining Carson Hocevar and Cody Ware in the garage.
By lap 210, the top five reset with Christopher Bell leading Denny Hamlin by more than three seconds, followed by Alex Bowman, William Byron, and Chase Elliott. Kyle Larson climbed to sixth, his highest spot of the day.
Earlier, around lap 190, Chase Elliott faced a slow stop with a crew issue on the left side, dropping him to fifth among pitted leaders, while Denny Hamlin took the lead after pitting a lap earlier. Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez were the only ones yet to pit.
On lap 171, pit stops loomed as Alex Bowman moved to fourth, closing on lap traffic, with Chase Elliott’s lead shrinking to 0.7 seconds over Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin lurking close behind. Bowman trailed by 2.8 seconds. AJ Allmendinger, despite ending Stage 1 with a tire issue, clocked some of the fastest lap times in Stage 2, though he sat 24th after the earlier setback.
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