Daytona 500 Rained Out on Sunday for First Time in 54 Races

Photo Credit: Russell LaBounty/Autostock

As much as it is to a picnic, a rainy day is a nemesis to auto racing. While road racing tours such as Formula 1, sports car and even (on limited basis) the IZOD INDYCAR racing series have developed counter-measures like rain tires, windshield wipers and defoggers that allows the competition to continue in most weather, events running on oval tracks are still held at the mercy of nature. Impractical and unsafe even when using any current technology, it is mostly stock cars (specifically those of NASCAR) that suffer the severe effects of precipitation. While rain delays and postponements are far from unexpected by drivers, teams and fans of NASCAR, one major event ran a frankly defying streak of delivering a race on the day scheduled.

Since their inaugural event at Daytona International Speedway in 1959, the tour now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car series has competed at the Daytona 500 on Sunday. In fact, in 53 years, the Daytona 500 has run to the full 200-lap distance on all but 5 occasions. Once scheduled to a shortened 450-mile distance in 1974 due to an oil crisis, the other 4 occasion in 1965, 1966, 2003 and 2009 were due to rain past the halfway point in the Daytona 500 race. For 53 runnings, the Daytona International Speedway appeared to have control over the most uncontrollable elements. Building an incredible winning streak for fans to expect to see their favourite stock car drivers compete on the 2.5-oval track, the streak ended at 53 this weekend.

Despite several attempts to jet-dry the asphalt racing surface over a four-hour period, a stubborn weather system sailing through Daytona Beach continued to defeat any effort. Thanks what turned out to be three-quarters of an inch of rain through the course of the afternoon on February 26th, the Daytona 500 was postponed for the first time.

On Monday, NASCAR will attempt to start the Great American Race at noon-time eastern. Unfortunately, forecasts call for an elevated chance of precipitation throughout the afternoon Monday(between 70-90 percent). Thunderstorms are also predicted as likely on Monday's during the attempt to start the Daytona 500. NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway does have optimism that rainfall may slow or cease long enough to dry the track sufficiently for competition.

Set to start the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, drivers, teams and fans will hope the green flag drops at noon Monday.

Weekend Racing Weather Forecast: February 9th-13th, 2011

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup/ ARCA Racing Series

Friday:

DAYTIME

NIGHT

With moderate west winds blowing, daytime high temperature at Daytona is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) around the scheduled time for the ARCA Racing Series qualifying session. Nighttime practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout cars will be conducted under clear skies with an ambient temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).


Saturday:

DAYTIME

NIGHT

Two practices in preparation for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series' Daytona 500 qualifying session Sunday will be held under clear skies with temperatures between about 46 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (8-14 degrees Celsius). Winds are slated up to bombarding from a mostly Northern-most flow at 12 miles per hour (20 kilometers per hour) during the morning but will subside during the afternoon and night. No precipitation is expected for the afternoon's ARCA Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 and the night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout event. Temperatures around Budweiser Shootout race's 8 PM start time is slated at 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).


Sunday:



DAYTIME












Consistent with temperatures and weather conditions of the previous days, the crucial qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Daytona 500 will be set underway at 1:05 PM. Providing completely clear skies, daily-high temperature is forcasted at 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). A light Northwest wind travelling at about 6 miles per hour (10 kilometers per hour) is expected to be a minor complication for the two-lap qualifying runs.

Day 2: Daytona 24 hour race preparations

Photo Credit: Grand-Am

The day before the Rolex 24-hour of Daytona is the final preparation to set up for a rain or shine competition on a challenging 3.56 mile road course. The Rolex Series field full of veteran, rookie, full-time and part-time drivers will receive a challenge which even their race machines may not be able to persevere.

Morning practice for the Rolex Series Daytona prototypes and GT cars consisted of a lighter presence on-track based on the fact that some of the front-running teams wanted to conserve their race cars for Saturday. Nonetheless, many teams those the 45 minute session as a time to fine tune their sports cars including the embattled #99 GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley.

The determined work of GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing crew member reignited the "Red Dragon" by replacing the rear end damage after a Thursday morning practice crash with Jimmie Johnson in the vehicle. Staying in the pits with the GAINSCO crew members until midnight, Johnson made every effort to acknowledge the hard work. "These guys are top notch and I am fortunate to drive here at GAINSCO and look forward to a good race" Jimmie Johnson said. Jimmy Vasser added "It was a great job by all of the guys on the GAINSCO team".

With the #99 Daytona prototype repaired, drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser were all able to get seat time in the "Red Dragon" clocking a 3rd fastest time in the practice session. Top speed in the morning belonged to a pair of Porsche powered Rileys led by the #59 Brumos car with an Action Express Racing #9 Daytona Prototype's lap just over 3/1oths of a second slower. A large contingent of the durable GT class cars made use of the morning weather including the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche GT3 which lead on speed ahead of the #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 squad car.

Splitting an uneventful final qualifying which required only 8 of the GT cars to take time, a fifth and last practice was the final preparation before the 24-hour race commences. The Daytona Prototypes were led by the #60 of Michael Shank Racing Riley ahead of the #10 SunTrust Dallara. While Ford power led the final practice, as they did in qualifying yesterday, the Chevy power in the GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing appears ready to challenge the blue oval pairing. In GT, another Chevrolet team also made a statement in the 5th practice. The Chevrolet Corvette C6.R of Godstone Ranch Motorsports achieved a time to led the session ahead of a Mazda RX-8 and BMW M6.

Throughout the final day, both Target/Chip Ganassi Daytona Prototypes sat quiet with a long distance ahead for the BMW-engined Rileys to survive. A 3-time winner of the Rolex 24-hour of Daytona, the Target/Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has their #02 car starting in 4th place, one place ahead of the #01 teammate.

The 52nd running for one of the earliest sports car races, the 2010 race is the 47th time that the event will run a full day's distance at Daytona International Speedway which has seen past entrants log more than 4,000 kilometers (roughly 2,485 miles). The field for the 2010 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona will take the green flag at 3:30PM Saturday with the SunTrust Dallara Ford Daytona prototype leading a field of 45 cars through a one-day journey. Spoiling the warm weather and sunshine that beamed on the improvised road course within the famous speedway, weather forecast in the Daytona Beach area calls for lingering rain showering as well as the possibility of thunderstorms through Saturday. As for Sunday, it is predicted that the sun will greet the survivors after enduring what will be a guaranteed harsh night to competitors whether their jobs are in the car or in pit lane.

As the ears of sports car fans absorb the majestic sounds of mechanical creations running at the edge of their limits, it will not be until after 3:30PM on Sunday that the engines around Daytona International Speedway will fall to silence again.