All eyes on the radar as the final preliminary before the Daytona 500 is set for a green flag this afternoon.
The Xfinity Series’ United Rentals 300, on paper, is set to start shortly after 5 p.m. On wet asphalt, however, that won’t be possible. The forecast hasn’t gotten any worse. But it hasn’t gotten any better.
Cup Series cars were scheduled for a final Daytona 500 practice at 10:30, but it was canceled due to rain. Qualifying for the United Rentals 300 was delayed from 11:30 but was set to start at 1:30 p.m. Thus far, the race remains on track for a 5 p.m. green flag.
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Six cars will not make the field for the United Rentals 300, with 44 set to attempt to qualify and only 38 making the field. Qualifying will air on FS1. Among the notable drivers entered in the Xfinity event include Hailie Deegan, Frankie Muniz, Shane van Gisbergen and Daniel Suarez.
We’ll update things here throughout the day.
Daytona 500 Xfinity race postponed until Monday
Mother Nature finally won the battle.
NASCAR officially postponed Saturday’s United Rentals 300, the opener of the Xfinity Series season, to Monday at 11 a.m. The race was originally scheduled to start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, was bumped up to 4:30, but shortly after Jesse Love won the pole in qualifying earlier in the afternoon, a steady mist set in and wouldn’t relent.
Forecasts show that rain will threaten throughout the day on Sunday but no further changes to the schedule were made, meaning, for now, the Daytona 500 is still scheduled for a 3:11 p.m. green flag.
When will the Daytona Xfinity race start? A look at the live radar.
An indefinite delay continues at Daytona International Speedway as rain continues to fall.
The United Rentals 300, the Xfinity Series opener, was set to start at 4:30 after qualifying wrapped up this afternoon. However, rain began to fall shortly after Jesse Love took the pole and persists as we approach 5 o’clock.
Rain is in the forecast through Saturday night and most of Sunday, leaving the start of tomorrow’s Daytona 500 at risk as well. While no start time has been given for Saturday night’s race, here’s a look at the live radar:
Daytona Xfinity race delayed
It looks like the 4:30 p.m. green flag for Saturday’s Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 won’t happen.
A light but steady rain continues to fall at Daytona International Speedway and though driver introductions for tonight’s race have been performed, the track isn’t ready for racing.
Daytona 500 weather update: Rain still falling
A steady mist has persisted at Daytona international Speedway just 45 minutes before the new scheduled start time of the United Rentals 300, the opener of the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Daytona Xfinity Series lineup
The lineup for Saturday’s United Rentals 300:
- Jesse Love, No. 2 Chevrolet
- Austin Hill, No. 21 Chevrolet
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet
- Parker Kligerman, No. 48 Chevrolet
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Chevrolet
- Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet
- Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 20 Toyota
- Parker Retzlaff, No. 31 Chevrolet
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 5 Chevrolet
- Riley Herbst, No. 98 Ford
- Sammy Smith, No. 8 Chevrolet
- Patrick Emerling, No. 07 Chevrolet
- Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Toyota
- Sam Mayer, No. 1 Chevrolet
- Jeb Burton, No. 27 Chevrolet
- Cole Custer, No. 00 Ford
- Daniel Suarez, No. 14 Chevrolet
- Chandler Smith, No. 81 Toyota
- Ryan Truex, No. 19 Toyota
- Josh Williams, No. 11 Chevrolet
- Brandon Jones, No. 9 Chevrolet
- Garrett Smithley, No. 6 Chevrolet
- Leland Honeyman, No. 42 Chevrolet
- Kyle Weatherman, No. 91 Chevrolet
- Daniel Dye, No. 10 Chevrolet
- Josh Bilicki, No. 92 Chevrolet
- Hailie Deegan, No. 15 Ford
- David Starr, No. 66 Chevrolet
- Jordan Anderson, No. 32 Chevrolet
- Natalie Decker, No. 36 Chevrolet
- Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Ford
- Sage Karam, No. 26 Toyota
- Brennan Poole, No. 44 Chevrolet
- Dawson Cram, No. 4 Chevrolet
- Ryan Ellis, No. 43 Chevrolet
- Frankie Muniz, No. 35 Ford
- B.J. McLeod, No. 78 Chevrolet
Uh-oh, moisture returns to Daytona
Shortly after Xfinity qualifying ended, a misting rain returned to Daytona International Speedway.
That won’t help the odds of starting the Xfinity race at 4:30.
In other news, we have a failed post-qualifying inspection in Xfinity. David Starr’s car didn’t pass tech, which DQs his team and brings Dawson Cram into the race from the “failed to qualify” category.
Daytona Xfinity pole taken by ARCA champ Jesse Love; SVG 5th
Jesse Love bested teammate and two-time defending event champion Austin Hill by three thousandths of a second, using a lap of 49.702 seconds to take the pole for Saturday evening’s United Rentals 300.
Love, the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion, will run full time in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet this year with RCR sweeping the front row. AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman and Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the top five.
SVG jumps to the top of the Xfinity qualifying board
Shane van Gisbergen, three-time Supercars champion, has jumped to the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 49.83, unseating Jeremy Clements.
SVG ran the ARCA Menards race on Friday night but was collected in an early crash. He run his first full-time NASCAR season at the Xfinity level for Kaulig Racing this year.
Jeremy Clements leading Xfinity qualifying halfway through
Qualifying for the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 is now over halfway over with Jeremy Clements holding the fastest time on the board.
Currently, Clements is the only drive rto have broken the 180-miles-per-hour barrier in terms of average speed at 180.285. Anthony Alfredo, Riley Herbst and Patrick Emerling complete the top four.
Xfinity Series Daytona race moved earlier, to 4:30 this afternoon
Along with shortening the qualifying session to one round, NASCAR has moved up the start time for this afternoon’s 120-lap United Rentals 300. Instead of starting shortly after 5, it’ll go green at 4:30.
Weather permitting.
Qualifying is under way with the top 38 of 44 cars making the field for the United Rentals 300.
Xfinity Series qualifying order
- #44 Brennan Poole
- #29 Blaine Perkins
- #53 Joey Gase
- #14 Daniel Suarez
- #92 Josh Bilicki
- #74 Stanton Barrett
- #5 Anthony Alfredo
- #66 David Starr
- #4 Dawson Cram
- #43 Ryan Ellis
- #38 CJ McLaughlin
- #28 Kyle Sieg
- #78 BJ McLeod
- #42 Leland Honeyman
- #45 Caesar Bacarella
- #51 Jeremy Clements
- #07 Patrick Emerling
- #35 Frankie Muniz
- #19 Ryan Truex
- #36 Natalie Decker
- #91 Kyle Weatherman
- #27 Jeb Burton
- #6 Garrett Smithley
- #10 Daniel Dye
- #98 Riley Herbst
- #11 Josh Williams
- #97 Shane Van Gisbergen
- #8 Sammy Smith
- #18 Sheldon Creed
- #26 Sage Karam
- #00 Cole Custer
- #7 Justin Allgaier
- #9 Brandon Jones
- #81 Chandler Smith
- #1 Sam Maver
- #15 Hailie Deegan
- #48 Parker Kligerman
- #21 Austin Hill
- #16 AJ Allmendinger
- #2 Jesse Love
- #32 Jordan Anderson
- #31 Parker Retzlaff
- #39 Ryan Sieg
- #20 John Hunter Nemechek(i)
Xfinity Series qualifying will be one round
A change to the format of qualifying for the United Rentals 300 has also been implemented.
Instead of a round of qualifying producing a second round of 10 drivers, a single lap will set the entire field. Each car will turn in its best circuit starting at 1:30 p.m.
Xfinity qualifying set for 1:30 start, cars to pit road at 1
Drying efforts continue at Daytona International Speedway and with rain having subsided for now, there are plans to bring the Xfinity Series to the track.
Cars are set to roll onto pit road at 1 p.m. with the hope of starting Xfinity qualifying at 1:30. A reminder that six cars will not make the field for the race, which is still set for 5 p.m.
Xfinity Series qualifying delayed
A light rain has continued to fall at Daytona International Speedway and Xfinity Series qualifying, originally scheduled for 11:30 p.m., will not start on time.
As for when the session may be held, that remains unclear. The United Rentals 300 is still scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
Daytona 500 rain update: Final Cup Series practice canceled
It appears that Friday’s first Cup Series practice will be its last.
The practice session scheduled for 10:30 on Saturday morning for cars in the Daytona 500 has been officially scrapped due to rain. Fox’s Bob Pockrass was first to report.
Nothing else on Saturday’s slate of events has been moved as of yet with Xfinity qualifying scheduled to start at 11:30.
Daytona 500 schedule of events: Saturday, February 17
After the ARCA Menards race was moved from Saturday to late Friday night, and eventually won by Gus Dean, the Saturday schedule looks a little different.
Of course, all eyes are to the skies as rain approaches. No update as of yet, but should any postponements occur, we will list them as soon as possible. Until then:
- 10:30 – 11:20 a.m. — Cup Series practice
- 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Xfinity Series qualifying
- 5 p.m. — Xfinity Series, United Rentals 300 (FS1)
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