The NASCAR season will roar to life this weekend with the 62nd running of the Daytona 500, and fans traveling to Florida can expect nearly ideal weather for the ‘Great American Race.’
Every aspect of the weather can impact a NASCAR race. Even a change from sunny to cloudy conditions can affect the way that the cars handle when motoring around Daytona International Speedway at speeds over 200 mph.
Daytona festivities kicked off this past Sunday, Feb. 9, with the Busch Clash, an exhibition race featuring the top drivers in the sport. Drivers and fans were greeted with clear skies and temperatures in the lower 70s, but the race had many interruptions due to crash-induced cautions.
Thursday will be the hottest day of the week when temperatures reach record-challenging levels. The mercury will approach 86 F on Thursday afternoon, which is the current record high for the date dating back to 1935.
Temperatures will fall into the upper 70s by the evening when drivers take to the 2.5-mile track for the Bluegreen Vacations Duels, a set of qualifying races that will decide the starting order for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
The first duel is set to start at 7 p.m. EST with the second scheduled for 8:45 p.m. EST.
“The weather will be largely dry during [the duels] on Thursday evening, although a brief shower cannot be ruled out, especially toward the end of [the second duel],“ AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Erickson said.
Fans heading to the speedway may want to pack a poncho to help stay dry if a shower does move through during the duels.
William Byron (24) and Alex Bowman (88) lead the field at the start of a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A front passing through on Thursday night will bring slightly cooler weather for Friday with high temperatures in the mid- to upper 60s F with the chance for a brief shower or thunderstorm. This could potentially impact practice sessions throughout the day and the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race in the evening, but a complete washout is not expected.
Dry weather is expected to make a full return for the start of the weekend across the Daytona area, just in time for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. The green flag is set to fly at 2:30 p.m. EST with temperatures right around the 70-degree mark.
The picture-perfect weather will continue right through Sunday for the main event with the Great American Race set to start at 2:30 p.m. EST.
“For the big race on Sunday, fans can expect a mix of clouds and sun overhead with temperatures in the middle 70s for the start of the race,” Erickson said.
“Fans will want to make sure they have sunglasses and sunscreen on hand,” Erickson added.
If the Daytona 500 goes into overtime and carries over into the evening hours, the thousands in the grandstands can expect temperatures to settle in the 60s F under mainly clear skies.
While fans may be comfortable in the 70-degree weather, drivers will endure temperatures over 100 F for several hours in their cars as the sun beats down through the windshield.
“It’s usually about 30 to 40 degrees [Fahrenheit] hotter inside the car than the outside ambient temperature,“ David Ragan, a former driver in NASCAR’s premier division, told AccuWeather in 2018. “We don’t have air conditioners inside our race cars.”
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The dry weather will roll right into the start of next week as fans head home and teams begin their cross-country track to Las Vegas, the site of the second race of the 2020 NASCAR season.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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