Daytona 500 Start Time Changed Due To Threat Of Rain
The NASCAR Cup Series season is starting an hour earlier than expected this year.
NASCAR has moved the start of the Daytona 500 from 2:30 p.m. ET to 1: 30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 16 due to a weather forecast with showers in the area from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. that could lead to extended caution periods during the race.
NASCAR has recently started using rain tires at some venues, but not yet on superspeedway tracks.
The green flag is now scheduled for 2 p.m., which means a race without cautions could potentially reach the half-way point that would make it official before 3:30 p.m. ET.
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NASCAR could also make the cars sit through a lengthy red flag period and finish the race at night after the rain leaves the area. That’s what happened in 2021, when Michael McDowell took the checkered flag after midnight.
The race can also be pushed to Monday, which currently has no precipitation in the forecast.
Chase Briscoe will be starting from pole alongside Austin Cindric, with Daytona Duel 1 winner Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones in Row 2.
Jones crossed the finish line in front of Cindric during Duel 2, but a yellow flag flew a second before when Cindric was in the lead. Cindric had already secured the front row starting position with the second-best time during single-car qualifying.
The Daytona 500 will have 41 cars start the race after Helio Castroneves crashed out of Duel 1 and failed to qualify his open car. The four-time Indy 500 winner has been given a guaranteed Open Exemption Provisional spot in the race, which is a new program NASCAR has launched to attract elite drivers from other series.
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