DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. - Due to inclement weather, the Daytona 500 has been postponed to Noon ET on Monday. This is the first time in race history that the Daytona 500 will not run on its scheduled day.
Daytona 500 Postponed to Noon Monday
“We attempted our best to get the track dry,” track president Joie Chitwood III said. “Seemed like every time we got close, another pocket of rain dropped on us.”
Pole-sitter Carl Edwards was visibly disappointed at not getting the opportunity to win his first Harley J. Earl trophy.
“This is one of the toughest things for us drivers,” Edwards said. “NASCAR’s doing the right thing, you know, not dragging this out. Hopefully this weather will hold off and we won’t be in the same position tomorrow.”
In what way does this change his preparation for the race?
It’s going to come down to who can keep their focus overnight - for both the teams and drivers,” Edwards said. “The track is going to be a little abrasive to start. I think NASCAR will throw a competition caution so we can look at the tires.
“Hopefully there won’t be any trouble.”
Teams have to leave for Phoenix for the second race of the season on Tuesday night or Wednesday. Former Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte will make his 20th Daytona 500 start for JTG-Daugherty Racing. This could be a complicated endeavor for the much smaller, one-car teams.
“There might be a few extra things we’ll have to do,” Labonte said. “But [crew chief] Todd Berrier probably already has that handled. We have some guys still at the shop and they’re just waiting for the hauler to arrive so we can switch cars.”
The forecast for tomorrow calls for an 80 percent chance of rain during the day with a 40 percent chance during the evening, starting at roughly 4 p.m. EST.
Green flag is scheduled for approximately 12:01 p.m. EST and will air on Fox.
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