NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol delayed by weather

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) The start of the Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway has been delayed because of bad weather.

The race was supposed to begin at 8 p.m., but was held up because of lightning, hail and rain close to the half-mile track. Jet dryers circled the concrete, half-mile surface instead of Sprint Cup cars as a large crowd awaited the start.

The cars were covered up with tarps as the rain fell.

Carl Edwards won the pole Friday and will start up front. His three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates were all in the top five of the grid: Denny Hamlin in second, Kyle Busch in third and Matt Kenseth in fifth.