Storms threaten to delay Saturday night's NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

After rain and thunderstorms delayed the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday night, similar weather could pose problems for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday night.

Friday night's race was delayed for over two hours as the stormy weather moved through the area.

Daytona International Airport received 1.75 inches of rain for the day.

Storm clouds move over Daytona International Speedway causing a delay of events before a NASCAR Xfinity auto race, Friday, July 5, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to bubble up once again around Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, mainly during the afternoon and early evening hours.

As such, the greatest risk for a delay will be early on in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, which is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Any storm will bring dangerous lightning strikes that will require spectators to seek appropriate shelter.

Staying in the grandstands or under trees and canopies are dangerous places to be during a thunderstorm.

"An enclosed, hardtop, metal vehicle can be a safe place to avoid being struck by lightning," according to AccuWeather SeniorMeteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

Since the track has lights and the stormy weather is not expected to last all night, the race should be able to be completed even if there is a delay.

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Should there be a delay, it would be the second week in a row that weather has plagued the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Last Sunday, severe thunderstorms halted the race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Temperatures will be in the upper 70s to lower 80s F throughout the race, with the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature in the middle to upper 80s.

For those tailgating prior to the race, the temperature will be reaching near 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with the RealFeel Temperature around 100 F in the afternoon.

Download the free AccuWeather app to know when thunderstorms are threatening your community with AccuWeather MinuteCast®. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.