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Fans make the best of Daytona 500 washout
Thousands of fans traveled to Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 and some of them are making the best of the rainy situation
DAYTONA, Fla. - It's been a soggy start to NASCAR's Florida race weekend at Daytona International Speedway as both the Daytona 500 and the Xfinity Series races were postponed to Monday due to inclement weather.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series race has been postponed again to Monday night. That race is expected to start one hour after the Daytona 500 race ends – estimated to be around 9 p.m., according to NASCAR. That series will air on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The Daytona 500 race is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. and will air on FOX TV stations, including FOX 35 Orlando, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Here's what Daytona 500 fans need to know
According to Daytona International Speedway, fans with tickets to the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 or the Daytona 500 can attend both races. However, Daytona 500 ticket holders have priority seats for the Daytona 500, as NASCAR Xfinity Series ticket holders have priority seats for the United Rentals 300 race, according to NASCAR.
"DAYTONA 500 ticket holders take priority for seating until the completion of the NASCAR Cup Series race. Following the DAYTONA 500 checkered flag, fans who do not have United Rentals 300 tickets will need to sit in seats not occupied by United Rentals 300 ticket holders. If you have a ticket to BOTH races, you may sit in the seats you have for each race," Daytona International Speedway said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Gates to Daytona International Speedway opened at 10 a.m. Pre-race fan track access will open at 12:30 p.m.
Fans with hospitality tickets for the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 race – Daytona 500 Club, Harley J's, Daytona 500 Lounge Club), you will not be able to access those areas until after the Daytona 500 is completed – and the checkered flag is waved, according to the Speedway.
Daytona International Speedway: How do they dry the track in time for the Daytona 500?
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Daytona 500: Here's how big trucks dry the track in hours
Former NASCAR driver Jesse Little joins Good Day Orlando to discuss the track-drying process ahead of Monday's double-header after a wet, wet weekend across Central Florida. The United Rentals 300 race is slated for 11 a.m., with the Daytona 500 set to kick off at 4 p.m. on FOX 35.
Why were the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 and the Daytona 500 races delayed to Monday? That's because the track needs to be completely dry in order to safely put on the race, according to NASCAR's rules.
In order to help dry the 2.5-mile oval track, Daytona International Speedway has specialty trucks that blow high-pressured air on the track to push the water away, followed by high-heat that helps to dry the track. It's a process that can take between 2-3 hours, according to Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher.
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Daytona 500 postponed: Why it was moved to Monday
Frank Kelleher, president of Daytona International Speedway, stopped by Good Day Orlando to talk about the Daytona 500 race being postponed. He said it takes 3-4 hours to properly dry the track, as well as at least 3 hours to conduct the race and with the weather forecast and rain, there just wasn't a window to do it. The Daytona 500 has been postponed to Monday.
Plus, the actual Daytona 500 race takes a little more than three hours to complete. So, with the weather on Saturday and Sunday, there wasn't a window to safely dry the track and put on the race, Kelleher said, which is why both were pushed to Monday. You can watch his interview in the video player above.