Live updates: Hamlin leads as rain drenches NASCAR Cup race at Dover

DOVER, Del. — Denny Hamlin leads as rain drenched the NASCAR Cup Series’ AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 with 14 laps to go at Dover Motor Speedway. Follow for live race updates here.

FINAL STAGE

The predetermined finishing time, when the race must finish by, is 8:10 p.m. ET. As of this posting, it is 5:42 p.m. Track drying could take at least an hour, meaning the race could certainly restart.

TOP 10, LAP 385: Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe. Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, Noah Gragson, Brad Keselowski and Zane Smith run 11th through 16th.

Ross Chastain has crashed and brought out a caution with 17 laps to go. Window net is down. He ran 13th before having an issue, hitting the wall and crashing.

Chase Elliott is closing in on Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell after they warmed up their tires with their battle. Kyle Larson is also closing on all of them.

Christopher Bell is all over Denny Hamlin for the lead, lap 357.

Austin Dillon for third on Chase Elliott who has just two fresh tires compared to Dillon’s four. Dillon loses third, lap 349. Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Dillon, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney comprise the top 10.

Christopher Bell, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman pit under caution, lap 341. William Byron pitted a lap later, leaving Denny Hamlin as the only lead lap car on the track with 11 green flag-lap old tires. 15 cars took the wave around.

Caution for rain! Christopher Bell and Austin Dillon will benefit big time from this, they hadn’t pitted and were among the six drivers on the lead lap when the caution flew on lap 336. William Byron free pass.

TOP-10 (LAP 336): Bell, Dillon, Elliott, Hamlin, Larson, Bowman, Byron, Gibbs, Reddick, Briscoe.

Joey Logano and Josh Berry get nabbed for speeding penalties, lap 328.

Kyle Busch is “wrecking loose” and has dropped to 18th after running inside the top-10… Here comes Chase Briscoe to pit road, lap 325.

Officials report the track is “all clear” and “no drops.” Lap 319. Kyle Larson goes to fourth.

As Chase Elliott is getting into lap traffic, his gap to second-place Denny Hamlin has been cut from about 3.5 seconds to 2.3… Lap 316.

Noah Gragson sits 14th, lap 302. He finished 27th and 21st in the first two stages. He goes to 13th, lap 313.

Alex Bowman loses second to Denny Hamlin. Bowman has remarkable long run speed but just can’t fire off very well in the opening laps of a stage… 36 laps into the third stage, at lap 286, as of now.

According to RaceWeather, rain may impact the finish of the race:

Logano with the bump and run to Chastain for 12th. Remember, they have that history from Chicago… Lap 269.

LAP 265: Green flag with Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin leading. Bowman takes second from Hamlin.

Wow… Christopher Bell spins from the lead but he didn’t hit the wall and no one hit him. That was remarkable! Lap 261.

Off pit road: Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace. Big stop for Elliott who will finally get to battle Bell heads-up. Elliott commanded the race from laps 14 to 184 before a pit stop issue gave control to Bell.

STAGE TWO WINNER: Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell wins Stage 2 at Dover, his second stage win of 2025. Top-10: Bell, Bowman, Hamlin, Elliott, Larson, Byron, Briscoe, Gibbs, Blaney, Wallace.

Alex Bowman to second, lap 244. If the race continues to go green like it has been all day, he could take the fight for the win to Christopher Bell.

Ryan Blaney has entered the top 10 for the first time today, lap 241. He runs behind Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace.

Carson Hocevar is behind the wall in the DVP area after hitting the wall and getting damage. Chase Elliott challenges William Byron for fourth, lap 235.

A.J. Allmendinger pits with brake issues, lap 219. He has no right-rear brakes and brakes went straight to the floor.

During green flag pit stops, Chase Elliott had the jack drop. He dropped back to fifth after that.

Denny Hamlin lost four seconds to Christopher Bell after getting stuck behind lap car Ty Dillon.

TOP-10 (LAP 200): Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch.

Before pit stops, it was Elliott, Bell, Hamlin, Bowman, Byron, Briscoe, Larson, Gibbs, Wallace and Busch.

Carson Hocevar had a pass-through penalty for a fuel can going outside of the box.

Byron pits and starts green flag stops, lap 184.

Chase Elliott leads Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch. The top-eight positions all belong to Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

Daniel Suarez is back on the lead lap after his fierce defense of Chase Elliott at the end of the first stage. Stage two is 130 laps, set to end on lap 250.

STAGE ONE WINNER: Chase Elliott

STAGE ONE TOP 10 (LAP 120): Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson. Elliott claimed his first stage win of 2025.

A.J. Allmendinger had a tire issue that cost him points. Erik Jones and Cody Ware had issues.

Chase Elliott finally gets around Daniel Suarez. Kyle Larson is up to 11th, lap 116.

Ty Gibbs takes seventh from Kyle Busch, lap 113.

LAP 109: Chase Elliott is losing time trying to lap Daniel Suarez. Suarez aero-blocked Elliott, forced him up the track and got him loose. Christopher Bell is on Elliott’s bumper for the lead. A.J. Allmendinger takes ninth from Joey Logano.

Allmendinger takes 10th from Bubba Wallace. He is running lap times comparable with others in the top-10. Wallace and 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick are 11th and 12th. Reddick is loose.

Chase Briscoe drops to fifth, Joey Logano to 10th. Going forward is Alex Bowman in seventh. He can run high on the track, get momentum and maneuver when someone aero-blocks him.

Ryan Blaney gets 20th. Alex Bowman passes Joey Logano for ninth, lap 64.

Christopher Bell to second over Chase Briscoe, lap 60.

LAP 54: Chase Elliott leads Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Alex Bowman. Michael McDowell 12th, Chris Buescher 16th, Kyle Larson 18th, Ryan Blaney 21st, Austin Cindric 23rd. Buescher reported cool suit issues.

Green flag, lap 43. Chase Elliott launches to the lead.

Off pit road: Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch (+3), William Byron, Tyler Reddick (-2), Denny Hamlin (+2), Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano (-3), Michael McDowell.

TOP-10 (LAP 35): Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell.

Hamlin started 13th. Kyle Larson moved from 25th to 19th while Ryan Blaney moved from 31st to 26th.

Chase Elliott took the lead from Chase Briscoe after lap 15 after Elliott started on pole.

Shane van Gisbergen had a tire issue that dropped him from sixth to 37th.

RACE START

Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe are on the pole after rain canceled practice and qualifying.

AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Info:

Broadcast: TNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 laps / 400 miles
Stages: 120 / 250 / 400
Average time of race: 3:32:48
Pit road speed: 35 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
Fuel Window: 100 laps
Competition Caution: Lap 35

MORE: The ‘Chase’ is on at Dover: Rain puts Elliott, Briscoe on NASCAR Cup front row