Daytona 500 postponed by weather, setting up NASCAR double-header

NASCAR’s Daytona 500 has been postponed a day because of rain. Again.

The Cup Series’ season opener is now scheduled to start Monday at 4 p.m. It will air on Fox. That sets up a unique double-header at Daytona International Speedway; the Xfinity Series’ United Rentals 300 was previously pushed back from Saturday to Monday at 11 a.m. It will air on FS1.

Parking lots open at 7 a.m., with the gates and fan zone opening at 10.

The Great American Race was initially set to run Sunday at 2:30, but that started looking doubtful during the week because of a rain-heavy radar.

Multiple drivers were asked about their rain delay habits during Wednesday’s media day. Kyle Larson said he has played video games and watched Disney movies during bad weather. Alva native Ross Chastain said his “natural nervous instinct” is to look for food so he has plenty of energy and calories left to burn whenever the race resumes.

Rain has become an unwelcome tradition for NASCAR’s biggest race. The 2012 Daytona 500 was pushed back from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night to Monday afternoon and, finally, Monday night. That race is more memorable for Juan Pablo Montoya slamming into a jet dryer.

In 2020, the field got in 20 laps before the race was postponed a day (when Tampa-born Denny Hamlin won it).

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