Start of NASCAR Ford 400 delayed by rain

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Sprint Cup championship finalists Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have waited seven days for the green flag of the season finale, and they will have to wait even longer to determine which one will capture the title.

Rain has delayed the NASCAR season finale Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Rain began to fall Sunday about an hour before the scheduled 3:15 p.m. green flag. Once the rain stops, it should take 45 to 60 minutes to dry the 1.5-mile oval.

Accuweather.com was calling for a strong frontal system to be moving across South Florida on Sunday, with showers and thunderstorms likely to cause delays into Sunday evening before the rain clears the area.

Denny Hamlin is on the pole for the 267-lap race. Busch starts third, the best among the Chase finalists. Gordon, in the final race of his career, will start fifth, while Truex starts 11th and defending Cup champion Harvick starts 13th. The driver who finishes the race best among the four finalists will be the champion.

The 400.5-mile race is scheduled typically take about three hours to complete. If 134 laps are completed, the race would be considered official if it rains and NASCAR cannot get the race restarted. The race last week at Phoenix was shortened 93 laps because of rain.

If the race is postponed Sunday, it will run Monday.