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NASCAR race today: Live updates for USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

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Bad weather canceled qualifying and threatened Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race got underway at 2:06 p.m. ET with Chase Elliot, who leads the NASCAR standings, in pole position.

The 301-mile race promises tough passing on one of the most unique tracks in NASCAR due to the combination of asphalt and granite — it is the Granite State, after all — on a relatively flat 1.058-mile oval. The circuit has produced many memorable races in its 20-plus years hosting the NASCAR Cup Series.

Eight races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, so drivers will be jockeying for position as the playoffs inch closer. Follow along for live updates of the race from USA TODAY Sports reporters on the ground in New Hampshire.

More: Details and driver profiles for the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race

Christopher Bell held his position for the final 27 laps of the first stage to maintain his lead of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Joey Logano, a New England native, edged polesitter Chase Elliott on the final lap of Stage 1 to finish second in the stage. Elliott might be looking to around to see what exactly went wrong after leading the first 42 laps of the race.

The others to receive points after Stage 1 were Ryan Blaney (fourth), Josh Berry (fifth), Martin Truex Jr. (sixth), Denny Hamlin (seventh), Ross Chastain (eighth, Tyer Reddick (ninth) and Alex Bowman (10th). — Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

Could Christopher Bell do it two days in a row?

The winner of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Bell made a move on the inside of Chase Elliott to take the lead on the 43rd lap of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Bell, who started fourth Sunday, methodically trimmed Elliott’s lead over the previous 10 laps. Elliott led by more than three seconds at one point. Still, Elliott remains about a second behind Bell with a little more than 20 laps to go in the first stage. — Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

Polesitter Chase Elliott went three lanes deep as the green flag dropped and made a statement run on the first lap to lead the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Christopher Bell was right behind in second place, followed by Ross Chastain, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

What time is the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race?

The New Hampshire race started at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.

How to watch the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race

USA Network is broadcasting the race. It is also available to stream on the NBC Sports App and fuboTV. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and PRN Radio will also have the race.

NASCAR starting lineup for race today

  1. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
  2. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
  3. William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
  4. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
  5. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
  6. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
  7. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Toyota
  8. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
  9. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
  10. Josh Berry, No. 4 Ford
  11. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
  12. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
  13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
  14. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
  15. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
  16. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Ford
  17. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
  18. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
  19. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
  20. Carson Hocevar, No. 71 Chevrolet
  21. Noah Gragson, No. 10 Ford
  22. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
  23. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Ford
  24. Justin Haley, No. 51 Ford
  25. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford
  26. Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Chevrolet
  27. Harrison Burton, No. 21 Ford
  28. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
  29. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
  30. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
  31. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Ford
  32. Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
  33. Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Chevrolet
  34. Zane Smith, No. 71 Chevrolet
  35. Kaz Grala, No. 15 Ford
  36. Ty Dillon, No. 16 Chevrolet

Where a drivers starts can have a lot to do with where they finish, and this race’s starting lineup was determined by NASCAR’s metric after qualifying was scrubbed due to weather on Saturday. There were benefactors, particularly Chase Elliott, who will start from the pole position, and last week’s winner, Ryan Blaney, who will start alongside Elliott on the front row with William Byron, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman rounding out the top five.

It’s been raining all morning but finally stopped around 11:15 a.m. ET. The sky is looking cloudy with humid and hazy conditions for the race. But everything is not in the clear yet. The National Weather Service placed the area under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. ET. It said storms could move across the region this afternoon and have “the potential to produce damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes.”

— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

Which drivers have the best chance to claim victory at the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway? These are the top drivers to watch Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Martin Treux Jr. is looking to go back-to-back after winning in New Hampshire last year, while Chase Elliott will look to stand on the top step of the podium from pole position.

If it’s not either of those two hoisting the trophy after 301 laps, a good bet could be Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin or Christopher Bell — all have wins in 2024 as well as previous wins at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

Wet weather ruined the opportunity for New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon to drive the pace car before the start of Sunday’s Cup Series race, which is a shame since Judon believes he is the best driver among his Patriots teammates.

A soggy track meant Judon’s pace car training had to be canceled, so the four-time Pro Bowler will instead ride shotgun inside the official Toyota Camry XSE pace car before the green light at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I probably wouldn’t ask my teammates anything about driving,” Judon said before the race. “I think I’m the best driver on the team. I came into it fresh, no knowledge and I’m just happy for real. This is just a new experience.”

Could Judon’s driving skills lead to a future career in professional racing?

“For sure, no,” Judon said. “I don’t even know how to drive a stick car.”

— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

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