Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Crew members push the car of Joey Logano
Here we go again …
After rain postponed last year’s Daytona 500 after just 20 laps and forced a Monday finish, there’s a chance we’re in for more of the same for the 2021 edition of the Great American Race on Sunday.
Of course, Florida weather can be extremely unpredictable so there’s really no guarantee, but it doesn’t mean we can’t take a peek at the latest Daytona Beach weather forecast.
For those wondering, the Daytona 500 will be an official race once it reaches halfway (which is 100 laps for today’s race).
So, will the weather in Daytona allow NASCAR to go green and attempt the full 500 miles (or even cross the half-way point at the very least)?
Let’s take a look at the latest Daytona 500 weather forecast.
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Daytona 500 Weather Forecast
According to the National Weather Service, today’s Daytona Beach forecast is not ideal for racing.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected on Sunday with an 80% chance of rain throughout the day. And no, NASCAR does not use rain tires on ovals like the track that will be run in the Daytona 500.
Sunday night does look much better, with that 80% chance of storms and precipitation continuing until early Monday morning.
Daytona International Speedway does have lights, so NASCAR can opt to try and wait out the rain for a dry track after the sun goes down, which is exactly what happened during the 2014 edition of the Great American Race, won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. following a rain delay that lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes.
From a Daytona 500 betting perspective, this doesn’t change much in terms of finding value.
And according to FantasyLabs’ NASCAR DFS analyst Nick Giffen (@Rotodoc on Twitter), the potential for a delayed Daytona 500 shouldn’t affect DraftKings strategy either:
“There is rain in the forecast, but it shouldn’t affect DFS strategy much, if at all. Since laps led and fastest laps are so spread out, we don’t rely on those points when setting lineups.
I wouldn’t change any DFS strategy at all.”
Want to take advantage of Giffen’s DraftKings DFS model for the Daytona 500? Click here to sign up and start building lineups right now!