DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Persistent rain forced postponement of Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
The race has been rescheduled to start Sunday at 11 a.m. ET., broadcast on TNT.
NASCAR officials made the decision shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday.
When the race does begin, pole-sitter David Gilliland in the Love’s Travel Stops Ford will share the front row with Reed Sorenson in the Golden Corral Chevrolet.
Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III said even if the rain had stopped shortly after 9 p.m., it would have taken about an hour and 45 minutes to fully dry the track.
“You start thinking about an 11 p.m. start – which means you actually finish the event around 2 a.m. or a little later – and you think about public safety, getting people home, all those things,” Chitwood said. “With the rain still around us, we (realized) we would not be able to dry the track for a reasonable start time tonight.”
Chitwood remains convinced that July 4 weekend is a “great weekend” for the Coke Zero 400, despite the rains which often plague the east coast of Florida this time of year.
“We just seemed to have a little bit of bad luck tonight,” Chitwood said. “But when I watch last year’s race, we really killed it. I think this is the right time for the Coke Zero. Typically, with the afternoon thunderstorms — yes, we have them, but by 6 or 7 o’clock we’re ready to go.”
It’s been a rough weather year at Daytona, which was hit with a 6-hour, 21-minute rain delay during February’s Daytona 500.
“Obviously, it’s tough for our fans who make the commitment and the investment to attend,” Chitwood said.
Daytona International Speedway rewarded rain poncho-clad fans who remained on-hand with a fireworks display at 9 p.m. Saturday night.
Tickets for Saturday’s race will be honored Sunday. Grandstand gates will open at 9 a.m. and parking lots will open at 7 a.m.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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