Daytona postponed for 1st time
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The 54th running of the Daytona 500 earned the dubious distinction Sunday of being the first Great American Race to be postponed by rain.
Unfortunately for NASCAR and its teams, the bad news might not end there.
The season opener, which will mark the Sprint Cup debut of Danica Patrick, was moved to noon ET today, but that might be optimistic given that the National Weather Service forecast a 70% chance of rain until 6 p.m. and 30% afterward. NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway officials said they could run the race under the lights today or wait until Tuesday if necessary.
Even if the race can be squeezed in today, it still would make for a brutal turnaround. NASCAR races at Phoe- nix International Raceway next weekend, and team’s haulers are due to enter the 1-mile track at 5 p.m. Thursday.
It’s roughly a 32-hour drive from NASCAR teams’ Charlotte hub to Phoenix. That might force teams to scramble in sending their Phoenix cars to Florida rather than bringing their haulers back to Charlotte (a seven-hour drive from Daytona Beach) to swap out their cars.
Rain-delayed Daytona 500: Today, noon ET, Fox
“If we were to put this out until Tuesday, that would be real tough,” pole-sitter Carl Edwards said. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. We’ve got guys (who) can do it.”
NASCAR moved the race back a week this year to eliminate an early off week, marking the first time the Daytona 500 (which started in 1959) was scheduled for the last week in February since 1968 and the fifth time overall. Track President Joie Chitwood said the race likely would stay on the same week next year but added, “It’s unfortunate that this had to happen the first year after we made that change.”
“This is one of the toughest things for drivers,” Edwards said. “It’s now who can really stay focused. That’s not just the drivers. That’s the pit crews (and) the crew chiefs.”