Whenever NASCAR rolls into Daytona, weather is on everyone’s mind. Will we see a repeat of last season with a surprise rain shower, or will we stay dry for the weekend?
Weekend Weather Forecast via National Weather Service
Friday, August 24: Xfinity Series Wawa 250 7:30 PM ET
- Forecast: Mostly Clear
- Temperature: Low 80s°F, Dropping to Upper 70s°F by Race end
- Rain: 2%
- Wind: NE at 6-7 MPH
Saturday, August 25: Cup Series Coke Zero 400 7:00 PM ET
- Forecast: Mostly Clear
- Temperature: Low 80s°F with Heat index around 90°F, Dropping to upper 70s°F by race end
- Rain: 9%
- Wind: NW at 11 MPH
Sunday, August 26: Truck Series Clean Harbors 175 4:00 PM ET
- Forecast: Sunny
- Temperature: Low 70s°F
- Rain: 3%
- Wind: E at 9-10 MPH
Daytona International Speedway Weather History
The summer race at Daytona has been impacted by weather on multiple occasions, but none bigger than last year’s Playoff cut-off race. A perfectly timed rain shower in the right spot on the race track caused everyone in the lead pack to break loose, causing a massive accident. Less than 10 cars made it through completely unscathed, and Austin Dillon snaked his way through to win his fourth career Cup Series race.
Pop-up showers are nothing new, and it affected Xfinity Series qualifying in 2014. A rain shower during qualifying caused an accident in the rain, and the rain stopped at a distinct spot halfway down the backstretch.
For now, it looks like Mother Nature will give NASCAR fans a break. However, a lot can still happen between now and the weekend.