Rain postpones final Daytona holiday race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Rain spoiled one of NASCAR's last great traditions when Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway was postponed because of persistent poor weather.

NASCAR

The race will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, which helps NBC avoid a head-to-head conflict with the final game of the Women's World Cup.

NASCAR has run at Daytona during the July 4th weekend since 1959 but is abandoning that tradition in a scheduling shake-up next season. Daytona will instead host the regular-season finale in August, while the holiday weekend race will move to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Weather in part made Daytona amenable to surrendering the holiday weekend — every day since the track opened Thursday has been affected by either lightning or rain. Cup qualifying for Sunday’s race was canceled because lightning in the area prevented NASCAR access to inspect the cars.

The field was set by points, with Joey Logano scheduled to start on the front row alongside Kyle Busch.

Rain also delayed Friday night's Xfinity Series race, won by Ross Chastain, for 2 hours, 35 minutes.

Thick dark clouds dumped heavy rain over Daytona most of Saturday afternoon, spoiling the pre-race pomp and circumstances surrounding the proud NASCAR event. From 1959 through 1987, the race ran on July 4 before being moved to the Saturday of the closest weekend. From 1959 through 1997, the race started no later than 11 a.m.

The event was moved to prime time in 1998, and few of the current drivers even remember it as anything else. Many have lamented the loss of the event this week because not only does Daytona in the summer mark the midpoint of the NASCAR season, but drivers have used the beach and the birthplace of American stock car racing as an annual holiday getaway that culminates in an intense 400-mile race.

But Daytona next year will be the final event for a driver to snag a slot in the playoff field, which means the stakes will be higher and, at nearly six weeks later, perhaps protected from the unpredictable Florida weather.

"I think traditions are important and as a sport we stay true to a lot of traditions, but I also think if you don't change tradition, you'll always be where you're at," Logano said. "When I think about where this race is going to be placed next year, the final race before the playoffs, here we go.”

On Friday night, Chastain led a sweep for Kaulig Racing.

Matt Kaulig entered the event determined to field enough Chevrolets to give his team a chance to win. It included a last-minute entry for current NBC analyst AJ Allmendinger, and Allmendinger pulled out of line on the final lap to nab third place and complete the Kaulig sweep.

Justin Haley was second as the three Kaulig drivers lined their Chevrolets up side-by-side-side for a victorious celebratory lap.

"I can't wait to get to victory lane. I've never even been to it," Kaulig said.

The monumental moment for the Kaulig team didn't last to the post-race party. Allmendinger's car was later disqualified for an engine violation and he lost the third-place finish.

Chastain, meanwhile, celebrated by carrying a watermelon to Daytona's startfinish line and smashing on the pavement. He comes from a family of Florida watermelon farmers and has made smashing the fruit his signature move.