Rain delays start of Sunday's NASCAR race in New Hampshire

Despite NASCAR moving up the start time of the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, rain has hung on and delayed the race at Loudon, New Hampshire.

While fans were able to enjoy dry, sunny weather for the Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon, the weather took a downhill turn on Sunday.

A band of rain began streaming across the area on Sunday morning and continued through the readjusted start time of 1 p.m. EDT. The race was originally scheduled for 2 p.m., but NASCAR officials decided to bump up that time on Saturday.

The race finally started shortly after 4:15 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

"If a lighter shower returns to the area before the race is completed, there can be another delay," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

Steadier rain may then follow during the evening.

There are no lights at the stadium, so extended delays could cause the race to end early or be postponed due to darkness.

Race cars are lined up beneath a sunny sky prior to the NASCAR Cup Series 300 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Harmpshire, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. Rain may threaten delays for the race on Sunday, July 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Should Sunday's race be postponed due to rain, unsettled conditions are expected to linger into Monday with showers and thunderstorms set to be around.

In addition to the potential for downpours causing delays in Loudon this Sunday, the overall weather pattern upcoming for the Northeast may remain unsettled into early August, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"It's possible there are weather-related delays at Pocono next week and at Watkins Glen during the first weekend in August," Sosnowski said.