Michigan so far: What we've learned through 51 laps completed

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Weather eventually prevailed Sunday evening at Michigan International Speedway as rain delayed the start and ultimately postponed the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series race, 51 laps into the 200-mile event.

Two cautions waved over the opening quarter of the FireKeepers Casino 400. However, all 36 Cup machines remained active, with none going to the garage and retiring from the contest.

RELATED: See running order after 51 laps

Chase Elliott, pilot of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is the race leader, with Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick rounding out the top five. Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano complete the current top 10, in that order.

Although the race didn’t reach its conclusion at its scheduled time, there were a handful of takeaways from the opening 51 laps. Let’s give each a look.

Editor’s note: The race will resume Monday at 11 a.m. ET, on USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.

POSITIONING ALREADY APPARENT

Stage 1 concluded with Ryan Blaney capturing Stage 1 after a late-stage shootout. However, the surprise came from Bubba Wallace, who looked to be the looming victor after the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota slingshotted his way to the race lead ahead of Larson and Hamlin on Lap 35. The No. 23 instead opted to pit, choosing Stage 2 positioning over stage points.

For Wallace, the move could be a gamble of sorts. After all, Wallace came into the Michigan weekend only three points ahead of the elimination line. But for the 30-year-old Alabama native, the long-term benefits could find the 23XI camp on solid footing to perhaps conquer the Irish Hills and find Victory Lane, which would clinch a playoff berth outright.

MORE: Weather delays Cup Series race at Michigan

This wasn’t the only battle. For Elliott and the No. 9, the opportunity to amass more cushion in the regular-season standings also arose. Among Elliott, Larson, Reddick and Hamlin — the four drivers currently battling it out for the Regular Season Championship — the No. 9 was the only driver to collect stage points, earning nine with his runner-up result.

Will this positioning pay off? Let’s see.

TOYOTA’S TALE OF TWO EXTREMES

Wallace’s thrilling move in Stage 1 has already been discussed. But what about Hamlin, who was also contending for the race lead during the maneuver? Unfortunately for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team, near-disaster struck not even a handful of laps later. After racing side-by-side with Larson for second, Hamlin got loose and spun out on the frontstretch, eventually resulting in a 22nd-place finish in Stage 1.

A thrilling high for one Toyota camp in Wallace was counteracted with a gasping low for Hamlin. But with plenty of racing to go — and with a steady track record at Michigan, to boot — there is time to rectify the situation. Plenty.

WHAT DOES FORD HAVE IN STORE?

As it currently stands, only two Ford drivers — Briscoe and Logano — are running inside the top 10 at Michigan. Three Fords collected stage points after the conclusion of the opening stage, with Blaney winning the stage and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski finishing fifth and seventh, respectively.

Ford’s Michigan history runs deep, and as victors of the last nine Cup races at the 2-mile facility dating back to 2018, perhaps the manufacturer has another hearty run in store in the final 149 laps.