Lightning and rain halts NASCAR Cup Atlanta race just before halfway

Motorsport photoAbout halfway through Stage 2, a lightning strike within eight miles of EchoPark Speedway forced NASCAR to red flag the race, bringing the field of 38 cars down pit road.There were no incidents in the first 109 laps of the race and all cars were still running. The race needs to reach Lap 131 to be official as that is the halfway point of the event.There are thunderstorms in the area, and rain began to fall after the cars were stopped on pit road.Ryan Blaney was leading the race a