Feb 16, 2023; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) and Aric Almirola (10) lead the field at the green flag to begin the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It won’t be long before the roaring engines of the Next-Gen cars announce the official comeback of the NASCAR Cup Series season at the Daytona International Speedway. The 66th edition of the Daytona 500 is heavily anticipated as the Cup Series will see several new full-time drivers. Amid the excitement, fans will be hoping that nothing goes wrong with the weather for the race weekend, but what is the latest weather forecast for Daytona Beach from February 16 to February 18?
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The last time NASCAR went racing, rain played spoilsport. It was the weekend of the 2024 Clash at the Coliseum, which was won by Denny Hamlin. A 2-day event was organized with the qualifying races on Saturday (February 3) and the main race on Sunday (February 4). Performances and celebrity appearances were planned as well, but everything had to be canceled. It was forecast that there would be heavy torrential rain in Los Angeles on Sunday and NASCAR had no choice but to wrap up everything by Saturday.
Early forecast suggests downpour at 2024 Daytona 500
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The Great American Race seeing the same fate as the Clash is the last thing that fans want. The first race of the new Cup Series season has always been characterized by a clear blue sky and thousands of passionate NASCAR fans screaming their lungs out at the Daytona International Speedway. However, things may not be looking so good for the race if recent weather reports are to be believed.
The National Weather Service is yet to release the 7-day weather report, which will forecast the weather of the Daytona 500 week. Some other websites and meteorologists have revealed what it will be like during The Great American Race. To be safe, fans should carry their umbrellas or raincoats with them to the venue.
According to AccuWeather, the skies will be partially cloudy on Friday, February 16, the day of the Bluegreen Vacations Duels. However, things are not looking good for Sunday, February 18. The forecast shows that there is a 60% possibility that it will rain. If that is the case, then NASCAR could opt for a similar route they took with the Clash.
The only option for the organizers, at first glance, would be to move up the race since reports show that it will rain at Daytona Beach until the Tuesday succeeding the Daytona 500. And it’s not just AccuWeather that predicts so. An eminent meteorologist from the National Weather Service predicts the same.
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Meteorologist becomes the bearer of bad news for NASCAR fans
While the official forecast from the NWS is yet to be released, according to meteorologist Kole Fehling, the chance of a downpour is high. He did not predict as much as a 60% possibility like AccuWeather, but the number is not very far off. Either way, this is not going to be good news for anyone involved with the Daytona 500.
“We don’t put percentages that far out, but the pattern will favor above average chance of rainfall for the time of year. There’s going to be a better chance for rain than normal,” he said as per The Daytona Beach News-Journal. The report also claims that Fehling predicted there to be a 40-50% chance of rain during the Speedweek dates.
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NASCAR will find themselves in a very tough spot if it rains too much on the day of the main race. In all probability, the organizers will have to change the dates of the event if that comes to pass. What do you think the organizers will do with the Daytona 500?