Why was NASCAR Xfinity race postponed? Exploring real reason, rescheduled time, and more

NASCAR's first-ever street race came to an unexpected halt as The Loop 121 Xfinity race on Saturday, July 1, was cut short due to inclement weather conditions.

Stewart Haas Racing driver Cole Custer led the Xfinity field to take the green flag for NASCAR's inaugural street race at 5 PM ET yesterday. He led every lap until the race was red-flagged on Lap 25, due to lightening in the area.

Almost halfway through the 55-lap race, the 30-minute stoppage turned into several hours as the threat of lightning strikes continued. The facilities were evacuated for public safety and the city officials didn't allow fans to return to the grandstands.

"Due to the potential for continued lightning strikes and in the interest of public safety and caution, the facility needed to be evacuated," the governing body said in a statement.

"NASCAR had hoped to resume activities, but not until city officials allowed fans to return to the grandstands. The forecast for lightning extends into the next several hours, forcing NASCAR to postpone the NASCAR Xfinity Series race until tomorrow morning," it added.

The race is postponed to Sunday morning, with the green flag for the second half of The Loop 121 dropping at 11 AM ET (10 AM CT). The starting order will remain the same as at the end of lap 25. The Grant Park 220 Cup Series race is scheduled for 5:30 PM ET.

Catch the Xfinity race live at 11 a.m. ET on USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the NBC Sports App.

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Complete restart grid for The Loop 121 NASCAR Xfinity race

Starting from the pole position, Cole Custer led each of the 25 laps until the race was stopped. He held off threats from behind on multiple restarts to keep the lead. Xfinity Series points leader John Hunter Nemechek runs second with Justin Allgaier, Brett Moffitt, and Austin Hill rounding off the top five.

Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks started 12th in the #10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet but retired due to an engine failure early in the race. Andre Castro crashed out of the race in his debut, as his #34 Chevy slid into the tire barriers at the end of the front stretch.

Here is the starting order for the postponed Xfinity race:

1. Cole Custer #00
2. John Hunter Nemechek #20
3. Justin Allgaier #7
4. Brett Moffitt #25
5. Austin Hill #21
6. Sammy Smith #18
7. Daniel Hemric #11
8. Chandler Smith #16
9. Parker Kligerman #48
10. Kaz Grala #26
11. Sheldon Creed #2
12. Preston Pardus #50
13. Miguel Paludo #88
14. Kyle Weatherman #4
15. Alex Guenette #36
16. Parker Chase #24
17. Blaine Perkins #02
18. Connor Mosack #19
19. Sam Mayer #1
20. Jeb Burton #27
21. Jeremy Clements #51
22. Alex Labbe #35
23. Sage Karam #44
24. Josh Berry #8
25. Riley Herbst #98
26. Ryan Seig #39
27. Brennan Poole #6
28. Anthoney Alfredo #78
29. Spencer Pumpelly #07
30. Parker Retzclaff #31
31. Brandon Jones #9
32. Ryan Ellis #43
33. Brad Perez #53
34. Joe Graf Jr. #38
35. Brent Sherman #28
36. Josh Williams #92
37. Andre Castro #34
38. Justin Marks #10