Rain leaves NASCAR spinning its wheels

Steady rain on Sunday in Brooklyn , Mich., forced NASCAR to postpone the 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race until today, but it may get grounded again.

With more rain in the forecast, there is a strong possibility the drivers won't get on track again until Tuesday morning - or even later.

"It's not fun for anybody but, first, we'll do everything we can to get the race in," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "If we can't get it in Monday, we'll do everything we can to get it in Tuesday."

The National Weather Service was calling for an 80 percent chance of rain on Monday, but dropping to 40 percent on Tuesday and to 30 percent on Wednesday, with scattered thunderstorms possible each day.

The Cup transporters are due in Bristol, Tenn., Thursday afternoon to set up for Saturday night's Sharpie 500.

The Michigan race is one of four remaining events scheduled prior to the start of the 10-race Chase for the championship.

Asked what would happen if the race could not be run this week, Poston said, "Although we certainly hope to get it in, and plan to get it in this week, if we had to move it, the race would be scheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving, making it the last race on the schedule."

He said that would also make the Michigan race the final event of the Chase and the Sept. 16 event at New Hampshire International Speedway would become the 26th and final race of the regular season, instead of the start of the Chase.

-- AP