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About halfway through Stage 2, a lightning strike within eight miles of EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) forced NASCAR to immediately red flag the race, bringing the field of 38 cars down pit road.

There were no incidents in the first 100 or so laps of racing and all cars are still running. The event needs to reach Lap 131 to be official as that is the halfway point of the race.

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There are thunderstorms in the area, and rain began to fall just after the cars were stopped on pit road, with drivers allowed to exit their vehicles.

Ryan Blaney was leading the race at the time of the stoppage, with Bubba Wallace second, Tyler Reddick third, Christopher Bell fourth, and Chase Elliott fifth.

Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar, Joey Logano, and Ty Gibbs fill out the remainder of the current top ten.

This caution will also give the free pass to Ross Chastain, putting 31 cars back on the lead lap.

Zane Smith, Brad Keselowski, and Todd Gilliland are currently trapped one lap down, while the cars of Noah Gragson, Cody Ware, and Chad Finchum are all two laps down. BJ McLeod runs last, three laps behind the race lead.

Along with currently leading the race, Blaney also won Stage 1, earning ten additional points in the process. Reddick, Larson, Logano, Cindric, Hocevar, A. Dillon, Briscoe, Elliott, and Wallace all earned stage points in the first stage as well.

Once the race resumes, the entire field will pit for fuel and tires as they were almost all the way through that stint before the yellow flag flew.

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Another NASCAR race day brought another wave of emotions for Samantha Busch.

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Nearly two months after the death of her husband, two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Busch, Samantha shared an emotional Instagram post Sunday reflecting on what race weekends now feel like for her family. While she admitted the pain of Kyle’s absence remains overwhelming, she also used the post to thank the NASCAR community, friends and fans who have surrounded her, son Brexton and daughter Lennix with support.

“As another race day approaches I’m reminded again how much it hurts that we’re not there cheering on Kyle,” Samantha wrote. “It still feels surreal watching from the couch and I still catch myself looking for his name on the leaderboard. At the same time, I’m filled with gratitude.”

Photo courtesy of Samantha Busch / Instagram

She continued by thanking NASCAR fans for the countless ways they have honored Kyle’s memory.

“To the NASCAR community and every single fan, thank you,” she wrote. “Over the past weeks you’ve surrounded Brexton, Lennix and me in ways I will never be able to fully put into words. You have honored Kyle’s life and legacy, shared your memories, prayed for us, cried with us and reminded us just how deeply he was loved.”

Samantha Busch recalls emotional Coca-Cola 600 tribute

May 24, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; Numeral eight painted on infield lawn in memory of deceased driver Kyle Busch during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

One of the moments that continues to stay with Samantha came during pre-race ceremonies at the Coca-Cola 600, where numerous NASCAR drivers honored Kyle by wearing his signature No. 8 gear during driver introductions.

“I’ll never forget sitting beside Brexton during intros at the Coke 600,” Samantha wrote. “As each driver walked onto that stage wearing Kyle gear, doing his signature bow, tears were streaming down my face to see how much Kyle is loved.”

She said watching Brexton’s reaction made the emotional tribute even more meaningful.

“Watching Brexton though every time a driver walked out in his tee he’d light up with a smile and look of awe. To see his heroes choose to wear his shirt in honor of his Dad made him feel so special. To see your child smile during such darkness is all a mom can ask for.”

The post also included several photos from the family’s life together, including race day moments with Kyle, images of Brexton and Lennix, and a photo of Kyle’s memorial at Chicagoland Speedway.

Samantha Busch says NASCAR became family when her family needed it most

Samantha also thanked the NASCAR wives, close friends and fans who stepped in to help her family through the most difficult weeks of their lives.

“The NASCAR wives, thank you for showing up with meals when I couldn’t think about cooking, for the texts that reminded me I wasn’t alone, for continuing to love on us in the midst of your busy lives,” she wrote. “You didn’t just love on me, you loved on our children.”

She added that close friends carried her through moments when she wasn’t sure how she would move forward.

“Behind the scenes, our family and closest friends carried me through moments I honestly don’t know how I would have survived,” she wrote. “They stepped in when I physically and emotionally couldn’t, sat with me in the silence, loved our children like their own, and reminded me over and over that I didn’t have to walk this road alone.”

Samantha closed the message with a reflection on what the NASCAR community has meant to her family over nearly two decades.

“And to the fans… thank you for loving us through every high and every low over the years. Your prayers, stories and unwavering support have always meant so much to us.”

“For nearly twenty years NASCAR has been our home and these past several weeks have reminded me that NASCAR isn’t just a sport, it truly is a family.”

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