The Daytona 500 always brings big crowds and big questions about the weather. The 2024 race was postponed because of heavy rain to Monday afternoon. This year the weather can again interrupt the race weekend as forecasts show warm days and cool nights, with upto 20% chance of showers for part of the weekend.
For Daytona Beach, the National Weather Service shows rain chances for the Speedweek. Wednesday, which will feature the Cup Series practice and qualifying, looks warm in the 70s with a 5% rain chance. Thursday is expected to stay in the 70s with about a 10% rain chance on the Daytona 500 Duel race day.
Friday and Saturday show 15% and 20% chance of rain, respectively. Night-time lows through the weekend sit in the 60s.
The 2026 Daytona 500 is scheduled for Feb. 15, with the green flag set to wave in the early afternoon at Daytona International Speedway. The gates open early in the morning and fans pack the stands long before the 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time start. However, the forecast for race day is not clear yet. The Daytona 500 is over seven days ahead and a more accurate forecast will be available next week.
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Last year, the Daytona 500 was also delayed for multiple hours because of storms and rain showers. After the delays, William Byron went on to win his second straight Daytona 500, after the stretched out schedule and late night racing. But the Daytona 500 has only been moved to the next day three times in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Meanwhile, the chaotic preseason stretch in 2026 saw NASCAR’s Cook Out Clash get pushed back several times after a historic winter storm hit the Southeast. The non-points exhibition race was rescheduled to fit over one-day on Sunday and then moved to Monday before finally staging the race midweek at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Daytona 500 Qualifying Rule Changes For 68th Running of Race
NASCAR has changed the Daytona 500 qualifying format ahead of the 2026 race. Qualifying start with the same way with single car laps, where each driver takes one timed lap and the top times will set the front row.
But for open teams, the two fastest open cars in single car qualifying will be locked into the Daytona 500 no matter what happens in the Duels. The remaining open teams will have to race in the Duels to take the final open spots. NASCAR also added a rule that bans drivers from using their hands to redirect airflow during qualifying laps.
This year, comedian Nate Bargatze will serve as grand marshal, giving the famous ‘drivers, start your engines’ command before the ‘Great American Race.’ And actor Kurt Russell will be the honorary pace car driver and lead the field in before the green flag drops on Feb. 15.
Also Read:
Grammy winner Nate Bargatze named Grand Marshall for 2026 Daytona 500
What changes has NASCAR made to Daytona 500 qualifying in 2026?
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