We’ve had “The Clash” at Daytona, and the front row is set for the 60th running of “The Great American Race.” But now the real work and the weekend routine starts for the 2018 NASCAR season with the annual running of the Daytona 500.
2018 NASCAR at Daytona: Will weather cooperate for NASCAR’s biggest weekend
Most sports end their season with their biggest event. NASCAR starts with it. Florida in February can sometimes be problematic, but weather looks ready to cooperate.
The good news is, with all the new adjustments teams, drivers, and fans have to get used to at the start of a season, the weather will not be something for them to worry about.
Since the 2012 Daytona 500 when Mother Nature forced NASCAR to move its premier event to a Monday Night, the SB Nation meteorologist has felt the pressure of getting this forecast 100 percent correct. The last 10 seasons covering NASCAR weather, Daytona has either brought Brian Neudorff huge weather success or some of his biggest weather forecast busts. Thankfully, it looks like 2018 will nice, dry, warm, and entirely rain free.
For the whole weekend, from Thursday night’s Duels to the Daytona 500 itself, the odds of racing are 90 to 100 percent for everything. Of course, that comes with this small disclaimer: In Florida, just when you think you have the weather figured out, it finds a way to make you look foolish. Neudorff is confident in his dry forecast, but reserves the right to change his strategy if Mother Nature decides to cause a debris caution in the closing laps of the weekend.
Please follow Neudorff on Twitter @NASCAR_WXMAN and like him on Facebook for the latest weather updates on any possible delays during the long season.
All times ET
THURSDAY
11:35 a.m. — Camping World Truck Series 1st Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 70
2:25 p.m. — Camping World Truck Series 2nd Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 76
4:35 p.m. — Camping World Truck Series Final Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
7 p.m. — NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Can-Am Duel 1
Forecast: Mostly clear
Winds: SE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 75
8:30 p.m. — NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Can-Am Duel 1
Forecast: Mostly clear
Winds: SE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 71
FRIDAY
12:05 p.m. — Xfinity Series First Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 78
1:05 p.m. — Cup Series Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 81
2:05 p.m. — Xfinity Series Final Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 81
3:05 p.m. — Cup Series Practice
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
4:30 p.m. — Camping World Truck Series Qualifying
Forecast: Mostly sunny
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 79
7:30 p.m. — Camping World Truck Series — NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES 250
Forecast: Mostly clear
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 70
SATURDAY
9:35 a.m. — Xfinity Series Qualifying
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 70
12:05 p.m. — Cup Serie Final Practice
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 78
2:30 p.m. — Xfinity Series - POWERSHARES QQQ 300
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: SW 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
SUNDAY
1:30 p.m. — DAYTONA 500 Pre-race
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: NE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 78
2:30 p.m. — DAYTONA 500
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: NE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
3:30 p.m. — DAYTONA 500
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: NE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 80
4:30 p.m. — DAYTONA 500
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: NE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 78
5:30 p.m. — DAYTONA 500
Forecast: Sun and clouds
Winds: NE 5-10 mph
Temperature: 77
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