Rain forces postponement of NASCAR Cup Series race

[May 28, 2020]    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tropical Depression Bertha rained on NASCAR's parade on Wednesday, forcing the postponement of a Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

Military flyover approaches the tower at Charlotte Motor Speedway before the start of the Coca Cola 600.. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Alsco Uniforms 500, a 208-lap, 312-mile race, was rescheduled for Thursday. It will be the fourth Cup Series race since NASCAR returned to action from a two-month coronavirus shutdown 10 days ago.

No fans have been allowed in the stands and participants must observe social distancing procedures.

With few live sporting events to satisfy fans, NASCAR has been enjoying the spotlight with the first event back, the Real Heroes 400, bringing in 6.32 million viewers.

Bertha, the second named storm this Atlantic hurricane season, is the latest weather-induced headache for organisers, after rain forced the postponement of the Xfinity Series at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway last week.

The Coca Cola 600, which started on Sunday and ended on Monday in Charlotte, was halted for nearly 90 minutes due to inclement weather.

(Reporting By Amy Tennery; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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