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Welcome back to the Daytona International Speedway, which is still drying up after a long Saturday of rain and thunderstorms that delayed the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 race.
NASCAR plans to take the Mulligan Ride on race day this morning, starting at 10 a.m.
Firecracker 250, anyone?
huh?
hang out with me.
We got really good at reading the weatherman tea leaves here, and now we’re in good shape (or at least “OK”) until about noon.
Come back here for constant updates as it gets closer to the fire trucks.
Saturday summary:What Happened During Coke Zero Sugar 400 Rain Accumulation?
What is the race channel? NASCAR’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 by Daytona: How to watch on TV, live
Xfinity Summary:NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 makes its way to the finish early in the morning
During the call:Jeff Burton’s loud and dry at the NBC booth, but he’s still on the nerves
4:20 pm: CHECKERS! Austin Dillon wins the playoffs. Eliminate Truex
Austin Dillon knocked Austin Sendrick off the lead with a few laps left and led the rest of the way, picking up a Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 and earning a place in the Cup Series playoffs, which begin next week.
4:05 pm: Green, green, green!
Back to the race with 16 laps to go.
3:55 p.m.: Cars restart, rolling under yellow
We’re told 4:10, but it looks like it might turn green soon. The rest of the field just got off the grid and follows the car’s speed. It should turn green soon.
Can we stay green? hmmm
By the way, the red flag lasted three hours and 20 minutes.
3:30 p.m.: Drivers back in cars soon
A couple of hours ago, no one saw this coming, but it’s true. The word is that drivers will be back in their cars in 20 minutes or so.
Sky clear, the jet dryers were dry, and those last 21 laps look like they’re going to be “going off” pretty soon.
As of now, 4:10 looks like the time they’ll run the engines. stay tuned
2:35 pm: Yeah, I’m still on hold
Nothing to report so far in Daytona, as the red flag is still officially flying.
An hour ago, many of us assumed NASCAR was simply waiting until 2 p.m. to name it, because their sports car series, IMSA, had a televised race at 2 p.m. starting at the Virginia International Raceway.
The drama from the rain delay would create a great runway for the IMSA event. But two in the afternoon came and went. Oh, okay.
Of course Ryan Blaney will be waiting all day. and at night if necessary. He’s in the play-off outside looking inside as he is now.
1:53 pm: How did Dillon get past that?
Here’s another shot of the big picture right before the rain and the red flag.
Look at Austin Dillon and imagine you’re trying to get through that mess.
1 p.m.: It’s still raining, you’re still waiting, you’re still praying (if you’re Austin Dillon)
Cars are parked and covered. The jet dryers rotate slowly around the track.
Drivers are trapped in the “green room”, waiting for the seemingly inevitable.
But you never knew.
Best case scenario, it stops, the rain clouds disappear, and it takes an hour or so for the track to dry and resume.
12:35 p.m.: Heavy rain, a red flag, and Austin Dillon is okay with it all
Cars pulled out of the pit lane as heavy rain settled over the highway.
Austin Dillon, who skied during the massacre of the latest Mammoth wreck, finds himself in the lead and doesn’t care how he got there.
He will suddenly be a comma driver if the rain continues and the race ends early.
Now, 21 laps left, but it doesn’t look good on the radar. Except for Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing’s third team.
A (really) Big One and then it rains, led by Austin Dillon
A massive crash through Turns 1 and 2 appears to have destroyed the entire front half of the field, except for Austin Dillon, who skied alone.
And now it rained, after 42 laps shy of the 160 prescribed for the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400.
Dillon may have just done the playoffs, depending on how long the rain continues.
The biggest one! Multi-car lap 125 caught on the front extension
Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Austin Dillon were among the drivers who had a severe crash in front of the main stands.
Joey Logano leads the way and now the teams are putting one eye on the fuel gauge and another on the weather radar.
This is the kind of day when the long lead can find himself ahead in time and come out with the cup after the rains shorten the race.
Speaking of which, Justin Haley is now driving after Logano digs.
“Turn 2 trouble!” | Sorry, Truex is part of a big crash in Lap 102
Lots of smashing right behind boss Joey Logano.
Among those most heavily involved was Martin Truex Jr. in his #19 Toyota.
Truex is a lock on qualifying unless a non-winner in 2022 wins that race. He puts his car limp in the pits and hopes to heal it and stay
11:35 a.m.: Kyle Busch advances to the end of Stage Two at Daytona
Stage two is over and we pass 95 of 160 laps of Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Kyle Bush led to the bar, followed by Martin Truex, Jr., Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace. Among the 2022 non-winners looking to smash the playoffs, Todd Gilliland was on top, sixth overall.
11:30 a.m.: If nothing else, we’re in charge at Daytona!
We passed the halfway mark, which was on the 80th course of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona.
Regardless of whether the weather holds up through the end of the Lap 160 or not, it’s an official race.
Heading towards the end of Phase Two, Tyler Reddick is looking strong as he mixes in with a bunch of his regular favourites.
Caution on lap 31 at Daytona; Ryan Blaney damaged. Joey Logano wins stage one
It wasn’t great, but it may have significant interlude effects. Ryan Blaney Sticking to a playoff pitch based on his stature of points, he was one of the few drivers to crash in the lap 31 crash.
Eric Jones traded the lead with Chase Elliott for a few laps but lost speed in Turn Two, causing a chain reaction behind him that damaged the cars of Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Christopher Bell.
Blaney got back on track but it was a few laps. If he finishes the day behind Martin Truex Jr in points, he needs a repeat winner in 2022 or else he will be knocked out of the playoffs.
Soon after returning to the green, the first stage ended after lap 35 with Joey Logano leading, followed by Elliott, Harrison Burton, Kyle Busch and Truex.
Kyle Larson outside the Coca Zero 400 team
Kyle Larson’s hopes were dashed on Sunday in Daytona due to engine problems.
10:05 a.m.: Green Flag Daytona | slowly
They work up to speed and flip the official laps in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Chase Elliott leads the field away from the green.
More details as required.
10 a.m.: We’re rolling in Daytona
Engines are cranked, and pre-race revs are in progress.
9:45 a.m.: Locked in for start command in Daytona
Most people take their time getting back to their seats in the stands, and this is always set up in an odd situation.
The drivers’ tariffs started at 9:20 and played like there was a full house: loud and proud, lots of pomp and circumstance.
When the crowd is scattered, it takes on a sense of exercise.
When the engines are moving and the green drops, any sense of “workout” will be through the safety grille and out of the driver’s side window.
9:20 AM | What happens to my Coke Zero Sugar 400 ticket if I can’t go on a Sunday?
NASCAR officials last night sent out a reminder email that race ticket holders have a “weather protection plan” benefit for regular grandstand tickets.
If the race is rescheduled, like On Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, which was rain delayed even before the green flag was dropped, fans may exchange regular grandstand tickets that weren’t used in new data for a future NASCAR race, according to a release by NASCAR Communications’ Russell Branham. More information is available at Daytona International Speedway website.
8:50 am | If it rains again, when will the Coke Zero Sugar 400 become an official race?
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is set to come to life at 10am, a bit of math tells us we should easily pass the halfway mark – thus making it an official race – before any potential rain arrives, assuming the forecast holds.
This race generally lasts about three hours, more or less, depending on the number of alerts. So, watch out there guys, there’s an angry cloud out west of Daytona Beach.
If we get a full two hours before potential problems arrive, We’re going to get us an official stadium for the playoffs today, one way or the other.
Which brings us back to that earlier reference to the Firecracker 250, the name of the summer Daytona race from 1959 until 1963, when it was extended to 400 miles.
Also, at that time, the race started late in the morning, so our full sense of “back to the future” is strong.
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