It didn't take long for NASCAR to postpone the Daytona 500.
The sanctioning body announced Sunday morning that the race had been postponed from its originally scheduled start on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET to Monday at 4 p.m. ET. Rain begins in Daytona Beach on Saturday and is expected to continue throughout the day Sunday. The race will be televised on Fox.
The decision to postpone the 500 was made extremely quickly. NASCAR typically waits as long as possible to postpone races. But this prediction basically tied NASCAR's hands. Waiting all day on Sunday is very likely to be in vain. And postponing the race to Monday as soon as possible is a smart move to prevent fans from coming to the track just to wait in the rain.
This postponement marks the third major postponement for the Daytona 500 in the past five seasons. The 2020 Daytona 500 ended on Monday after the race was suspended due to rain shortly after it started, and the 2021 Daytona 500 ended late Sunday night due to rain.
It also means NASCAR will hold two races on Monday. Saturday's Xfinity Series race was postponed to 11 a.m. ET Monday as rain began to fall. Saturday's Class 4 ARCA Series race was postponed to late Friday night after the Truck Series race to avoid delays as well.
The weather forecast for Monday is much better than Sunday. The rain is expected to taper off overnight, with skies expected to clear in the afternoon Monday morning. There is a chance that both races will be slightly delayed due to prolonged rain, but the forecast looks like there will be enough for both races to cover their scheduled distances. If both races are held on a Monday, it will be the first time in Speedweek history that two races are held on a Monday.
Joey Logano plans to start the Daytona 500 from the pole position each time the race begins. This is Logano's first career Daytona pole. The two-time Cup Series champion won the 2015 Daytona 500.
