Sweeping showers postpone the highly anticipated Daytona 500
By
Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer &
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 17, 2020 1:46 AM EDT
NASCAR drivers deal with inclement weather the best way they can on race day and use weather-related information to help with their on-track preparations.
The highly anticipated NASCAR Cup Series opening event, the Daytona 500, has been postponed until Monday at 4 p.m. EST after inclement weather washed out the race on Sunday afternoon.
Stray showers had threatened the race in Daytona Beach, Florida, throughout the weekend, but the floodgates seemed to open on Sunday when heavy rain moved into the area.
"Every aspect of the weather can impact a NASCAR race. Even a change from sunny to cloudy conditions can affect the way that the cars handle when motoring around Daytona International Speedway at speeds over 200 mph," AccuWeather Meteorologist and Staff Writer Brian Lada said.
On Thursday evening, qualifying races for the Daytona 500 were delayed as a rain shower moved over the area right when drivers were getting in their cars.
Drivers stop on pit road as rain begins falling before the first of two Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
A brief rain shower once again disrupted activities at the track on Friday evening, delaying the start of the Truck Series race.
On Sunday afternoon, there was a mix of clouds and sunshine overhead with temperatures in the middle 70s. However, a stray shower caused the drivers to head to the pit road a minute before the race could start. The green flag was then waved nearly an hour later.
Not even 20 minutes had passed before the red flag was waved once more. About two hours later at 6:50 p.m. EST, the Daytona International Speedway announced the race would be rescheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday due to inclement weather.
Erik Jones walks down pit road after rain caused a delay in the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
"Although the disturbance that produced showers and thunderstorms across the area on Sunday will have moved off to the east, a weak residual frontal boundary will be left behind [Monday]," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said. "There will be a slight chance for a shower to pop up in the afternoon, but it will be nowhere near as widespread as what we saw on Sunday."
Skies will generally be mostly cloudy with temperatures in the lower to middle 70s during the race.
While temperatures may be comfortable for fans, drivers will endure stifling conditions inside their vehicles.
“It’s usually about 30 to 40 degrees [Fahrenheit] hotter inside the car than the outside ambient temperature,“ David Ragan, a former driver in NASCAR’s premier division, told AccuWeather in 2018. “We don’t have air conditioners inside our race cars.”
The next opportunity for widespread rainfall across the South will come with a storm system during the early and middle part of this week.
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News / Weather News
Sweeping showers postpone the highly anticipated Daytona 500
By Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer & Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 17, 2020 1:46 AM EDT
NASCAR drivers deal with inclement weather the best way they can on race day and use weather-related information to help with their on-track preparations.
The highly anticipated NASCAR Cup Series opening event, the Daytona 500, has been postponed until Monday at 4 p.m. EST after inclement weather washed out the race on Sunday afternoon.
Stray showers had threatened the race in Daytona Beach, Florida, throughout the weekend, but the floodgates seemed to open on Sunday when heavy rain moved into the area.
"Every aspect of the weather can impact a NASCAR race. Even a change from sunny to cloudy conditions can affect the way that the cars handle when motoring around Daytona International Speedway at speeds over 200 mph," AccuWeather Meteorologist and Staff Writer Brian Lada said.
On Thursday evening, qualifying races for the Daytona 500 were delayed as a rain shower moved over the area right when drivers were getting in their cars.
Drivers stop on pit road as rain begins falling before the first of two Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
A brief rain shower once again disrupted activities at the track on Friday evening, delaying the start of the Truck Series race.
On Sunday afternoon, there was a mix of clouds and sunshine overhead with temperatures in the middle 70s. However, a stray shower caused the drivers to head to the pit road a minute before the race could start. The green flag was then waved nearly an hour later.
Not even 20 minutes had passed before the red flag was waved once more. About two hours later at 6:50 p.m. EST, the Daytona International Speedway announced the race would be rescheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday due to inclement weather.
Erik Jones walks down pit road after rain caused a delay in the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
"Although the disturbance that produced showers and thunderstorms across the area on Sunday will have moved off to the east, a weak residual frontal boundary will be left behind [Monday]," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said. "There will be a slight chance for a shower to pop up in the afternoon, but it will be nowhere near as widespread as what we saw on Sunday."
Skies will generally be mostly cloudy with temperatures in the lower to middle 70s during the race.
While temperatures may be comfortable for fans, drivers will endure stifling conditions inside their vehicles.
“It’s usually about 30 to 40 degrees [Fahrenheit] hotter inside the car than the outside ambient temperature,“ David Ragan, a former driver in NASCAR’s premier division, told AccuWeather in 2018. “We don’t have air conditioners inside our race cars.”
The next opportunity for widespread rainfall across the South will come with a storm system during the early and middle part of this week.
Report a Typo