Friday a Washout at Daytona
fanhouse.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A cold, driving rain washed out all track activity at Daytona International Speedway Friday, forcing the postponement of the truck series race to 7 p.m. Saturday.
The rain also forced the cancellation of the Nationwide series qualifying session, which means the field will be put together from last year’s points rankings, with champion Kyle Busch starting on the pole. Danica Patrick will make the race and will start 15th on the grid. The race is set to start at 1:15 p.m.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series cars were supposed to have a one-hour practice at 1:40 p.m. but the rain was particularly fierce around that time, accompanied by umbrella-killing gusts. The final one hour, 25 minute practice for Sunday’s Daytona 500 is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
All of the activities set for Saturday, including the postponed truck series night race, should happen as scheduled, as the weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 53.
It has been one of the coldest weeks at Daytona in many a year, with temperatures staying in the 50s, at best. That’s about 15 degrees below normal. Usually at least part of the final week is warm, but not this year. The forecast for Sunday’s big race, set to start at 1 p.m., is for partly cloudy skies, but a high of only 56.