NASCAR adjusts Daytona 500 schedule. Here's when they'll run the Great American Race.
Published in Auto Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The threat of rain has changed Sunday’s schedule on NASCAR’s biggest weekend.
NASCAR announced Friday afternoon that its premier race — the Daytona 500 — will be moved up an hour. The start time for the Cup Series’ first points-paying race of the season will start at 1:30 p.m., an adjustment from the original 2:30 p.m. start time.
The race will still be broadcast on Fox, which will begin its prerace coverage at 11:30 a.m.
The area surrounding Daytona International Speedway has a 53% chance of rain, with most of the showers forming in the late afternoon and evening, forecasts by Weather.com shows.
The gates and hospitality will open at 9 a.m. The FanZone will open at 8:30 a.m., with parking lots opening at 6 a.m. Sunday.
The drivers meeting is now at 12:30 p.m. Driver introductions will now begin at 1:05 p.m.
This is far from the first time rain has adjusted Daytona International Speedway scheduling before. It even happened earlier this week, on Thursday, when a deluge of rain canceled Truck Series and Xfinity Series practice. The rain stopped and the track was dry, however, before Thursday’s Duel races.
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