BROOKLYN, Mich. — Patience and persistence stands out as the key phrases when the Cup race resumes Monday (12 p.m. ET on USA Network) at Michigan International Speedway.

The race was stopped Sunday throughout the second stage. Seventy-four of 200 laps are full. Tyler Reddick leads. Alex Bowman, who’s outdoors a playoff spot, is second.

Michael McDowell finds himself out of the ultimate playoff spot based mostly on the factors as they run when the race was stopped Sunday.

Just as crucial is the harm to the nostril of McDowell’s Ford. He’s already made 5 pit stops to restore the automotive after hitting one other automotive on a restart. McDowell was listed in twenty seventh place when the race stopped.

“Just hit at the wrong angle and pushed the nose in and just created a lot of drag,” McDowell instructed NBC Sports concerning the automotive. “It’s slow down the straightaway right now. We’re hoping that we can get it popped out a little bit better.”

McDowell famous that “it’s not a lot of damage. It’s just where it’s at.”

McDowell admits he’s been lucky that there have been six cautions to this point. Last 12 months’s occasion had seven cautions for 200 laps.

“We’ve been able to get the bottom sealed up so the splitter is not flapping in the wind,” he mentioned. “We’re making it better. We probably just need one or two more stabs at getting it right.”

Based on if factors have been awarded at this level, Ty Gibbs would have a six-point lead on McDowell for the ultimate playoff spot. But others could be shut. AJ Allmendinger could be 16 factors behind Gibbs. Alex Bowman could be 19 factors behind Gibbs. Daniel Suarez could be 21 factors behind Gibbs.

With 126 laps to go, something may occur and the factors may swing considerably.

“We can only control what we can control,” McDowell mentioned of his factors standing. “The goal was to get out of here just plus (in points above the cutline).”

With two highway programs and Daytona remaining within the common season, McDowell is assured he could make up any deficit he would possibly after have after Michigan — or pad any benefit he leaves with Monday.

Should Gibbs stay within the ultimate playoff spot after the top of this race, it could proceed a surge he’s made with Joe Gibbs Racing the final two weeks.

He entered the Pocono race nineteenth within the standings, 41 factors from the cutline. He completed fifth at Pocono and fifteenth at Richmond.

Sunday, Gibbs completed second within the opening stage to gather 9 factors.

Crew chief Chris Gayle saved Gibbs on observe as an alternative of pitting within the first stage to gather these factors. That was the plan supplied Gibbs stayed within the prime 5.

After the race was stopped Sunday — and earlier than the occasion was postponed — Gayle had a chat with Gibbs about their playoff spot.

“I showed him the points,” Gayle instructed NBC Sports.

Gibbs was listed in eleventh place when the race stopped. Noting McDowell’s points, Gayle’s message to Gibbs was clear: “We just need to maximize the points we get at the end of the day and make sure we walk out of here still in 16th with three more races to go.

“I think that’s the key for us. If we can win, great, we’re going to try, but you go for points in the first part, you know what you might do is get yourself in a bad situation later where you have to come back through the field.”

Gayle mentioned it was essential to emphasize the purpose scenario to Gibbs based mostly on how a few of the incidents earlier within the race occurred in tight racing.

“This is a place where you’ve seen a few cars cut each other very little slack and be really close and get a guy loose and have some problems,” Gayle mentioned. “We just don’t want to be in that situation where we make it a must-win when we don’t have to have necessarily a must-win with three and a-half races to go.”