Against all odds, NASCAR actually completed qualifying for the Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway but the rest of the weekend is very much in doubt due to the two inches of rain expected to fall over the next 35 hours.
That means the Xfinity Series race and Daytona 500 are both at risk of postponement to Monday.
Can they race in the rain?
No. Speeds are too high and the wet weather treaded tires used on short tracks and road courses would wear to quickly. Also, if there is a lightning strike within eight miles of the track, NASCAR will go into an eight minute delay.
How long does it take to dry the track?
It has taken anywhere from 45 minutes to 75 minutes to dry a track depending on how saturated the facing surface is and atmospheric conditions. NASCAR has both Air Titans and jet driers able to dry the track quicker than in decades past. It used to take over two hours to dry the track before the invent of the Air Titan.
Do the races have to be run to completion?
NASCAR races are deemed official if it is stopped for rain and cannot be resumed under the following two conditions — it has reached the halfway point or the end of stage 2, whichever comes first. For the Xfinity race, that is Lap 60 of 120 and for the Daytona 500, it would be lap 100 of 200.
Would the race be moved up like the Clash
One, it’s not even likely but two, it’s not even viable. The rain has already started on Saturday and will last through Sunday. The most likely outcome is that both races will be run on Monday — President’s Day.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.