Daytona 500 Postponed, As NASCAR Drivers Face Up To 800-Mile Doubleheader On Monday

Daytona 500 postponed, as NASCAR drivers face up to 800-Mile doubleheader on Monday. The journey had been remarkable, as they often are. But all journeys must find their end. In its valiant attempt to persevere for a 66th year and hopefully beyond, fate had different plans. With emphatic punctuation, fate swept away an entire weekend of racing at Daytona.

Bring out the bugler, gather some flowers, and invite everyone to pay their respects. Today, with a mix of sorrow and acceptance, we bid farewell to Bill France Weather. They say, "He went out doing what he loved." Not this time.

Bill France Weather, affectionately known as BFW, reveled in gracing the crowds with clear, azure skies, accompanied by the refreshing touch of February's brisk air and just the right amount of breeze to whisk away hot-dog wrappers from the racing track. With little effort, Bill France Weather effortlessly outclassed its feeble competitors.

Folks, such occurrences were not uncommon, happening far more frequently than one might think. Legends like BFW don't arise from mere clay, but from concrete—or in this case, asphalt.

It was apparent right from the start - on February 22, 1959. Historical weather records indicate a balmy 70 degrees with a gentle breeze on the day of the inaugural Daytona 500. Highlight reels capture a myriad of scenes, yet not a single cloud graces the sky.

It's been said countless times: a stroke of luck indeed. BFW's namesake - William Henry Getty "Big Bill" France - poured immense effort, sweat, and tears into the construction of his grand track, but also ceded a degree of financial control to others.

According to legend, he confided in a small group of people that he would have given up if the rain had wiped out that first Daytona 500. Whatever pact he may have struck with the Higher Powers (giving them the benefit of the doubt here), it undeniably bore fruit. Bill France Weather was entrusted as the guardian, and what a diligent guardian it proved to be.

Of course, there were bumps along the road. Twice within the inaugural decade, a Daytona 500 fell short of its intended 200 laps. Additionally, in one instance in 1966, rain cut it short after just two laps.

Richard Petty completed 198 laps that day, outpacing everyone else, who managed no more than 197. That's King Richard for you.

After that, it was an astonishing 37 years before rain forced the cancellation of another Daytona 500. Michael Waltrip clinched victory in 2003, marking the first instance where the race teetered on the brink of a Monday continuation. In '03, the event only eked out three laps beyond the mandatory halfway mark before ominous clouds forced a red flag.

As Bill France Weather approached its 50th birthday, it seemed age wasn't treating it kindly. On its golden anniversary in '09, rain slashed 48 laps from the afternoon. Matt Kenseth, however, remained unfazed. Some wry old-timers jokingly dubbed it Brian France Weather, pinning yet another perceived mishap on the third-generation NASCAR leader - a jab not appreciated by many.

"Mild Matt" claimed victory once again three years later, marking the official decline of BFW. On the Sunday of race day, when the rain wasn't falling, it was pouring. "Let’s move this thing to Monday afternoon," they proposed. But BFW, now with a raspy voice, had other plans. "Okay, let's try Monday night." And so, officially, it was Tuesday morning, just after midnight - a Daytona 500 that took three days to complete, at least on paper.

We can't lay all the blame on BFW for that. It didn't crash into a jet dryer, igniting a fire that nearly melted Turn 3 before our eyes. No, that was Juan Pablo Montoya, whose car broke down on a caution lap and threw him into a truck towing a jet fuel-fueled device.

Bill France Weather managed to evade a couple of weather-related disasters through the teens, but the '20s began with a series of devastating blows, plunging BFW into the downward spiral we sadly witnessed end this past weekend. Unlike the previous century, this became known as the Pouring Twenties.

In 2020, they managed to run a few laps before the rain came pouring down. And then it kept raining and raining some more. Another Monday resumption ensued. The following year, Michael McDowell celebrated his feel-good victory, but BFW, increasingly frail, subjected him to a grueling five-and-a-half-hour rain delay before he could cross the finish line on Monday.

A brief respite followed with two years of splendid weather, but it appears that it took a toll on Bill France Weather because, well, you've witnessed these past two days.

In the history of Daytona, the Saturday race had been postponed to Monday twice - once in 1981 and again in 2004 - due to rain and the desire to avoid interference with Sunday's main event. Red flags had twice stopped the Daytona 500, pushing it to a Monday start or restart.

We've all heard the melancholy tales of hardworking individuals who retire at 65 only to face hardship before enjoying their golden years. This isn't quite like that. Bill France Weather was still relied upon for a day's good work, even for a handful of days each year. It's a shame, but as they say on sympathy cards, don't mourn what's lost but cherish what was had.

Due to NASCAR's decision to postpone both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races, several drivers are gearing up to tackle 800 miles of racing at Daytona International Speedway on Monday.

Daniel Suarez, AJ Allmendinger, Riley Herbst, John Hunter Nemechek, and Anthony Alfredo are among those set to compete in both races of Monday’s doubleheader.

The Daytona 500 will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Fox, while the Xfinity Series race has been rescheduled to follow the Daytona 500, starting at 9 p.m. ET on Monday.

Suarez and Nemechek, both full-time Cup drivers, are set for dual duty on Monday. Suarez will pilot the No. 14 Chevrolet for SS Green Light Racing, while Nemechek joins Joe Gibbs Racing, splitting driving duties with Aric Almirola in the No. 20 Toyota this season.

Herbst, Alfredo, and Allmendinger, all full-time Xfinity drivers, will also make select Cup starts this season.

Allmendinger will tackle both races for Kaulig Racing, while Alfredo will compete in Xfinity for Our Motorsports and Cup for Beard Motorsports. Herbst will race for Stewart-Haas Racing in Xfinity and Rick Ware Racing in Cup.

A similar scenario unfolded last season at Charlotte Motor Speedway when rain postponed both Xfinity and Cup races to Monday, May 29, testing two drivers with the challenge of completing 900 miles of racing.

Neither driver managed to reach this milestone. Ty Gibbs secured fifth place in the Xfinity race but ended up 26th, two laps down, in the Cup race. Justin Haley, finishing 15th and on the lead lap in the Cup race, crossed the line 12th, one lap down, in the Xfinity race.

Bring out the bugler, gather some flowers, and invite everyone to pay their respects. Today, with a mix of sorrow and acceptance, we bid farewell to Bill France Weather. They say, "He went out doing what he loved." Not this time.

Bill France Weather, affectionately known as BFW, reveled in gracing the crowds with clear, azure skies, accompanied by the refreshing touch of February's brisk air and just the right amount of breeze to whisk away hot-dog wrappers from the racing track. With little effort, Bill France Weather effortlessly outclassed its feeble competitors.

Folks, such occurrences were not uncommon, happening far more frequently than one might think. Legends like BFW don't arise from mere clay, but from concrete—or in this case, asphalt.

It was apparent right from the start - on February 22, 1959. Historical weather records indicate a balmy 70 degrees with a gentle breeze on the day of the inaugural Daytona 500. Highlight reels capture a myriad of scenes, yet not a single cloud graces the sky.

It's been said countless times: a stroke of luck indeed. BFW's namesake - William Henry Getty "Big Bill" France - poured immense effort, sweat, and tears into the construction of his grand track, but also ceded a degree of financial control to others.

Legend has it that if that first Daytona 500 had been washed out by rain, he confided in a select few that he would've called it quits. Whatever pact he may have struck with the Higher Powers (giving them the benefit of the doubt here), it undeniably bore fruit. Bill France Weather was entrusted as the guardian, and what a diligent guardian it proved to be.

Of course, there were bumps along the road. Twice within the inaugural decade, a Daytona 500 fell short of its intended 200 laps. And in one instance, in 1966, it was truncated by rain, just two laps shy of completion.

Richard Petty completed 198 laps that day, outpacing everyone else who managed no more than 197. That's King Richard for you.

Following that, an astonishing 37 years elapsed before another Daytona 500 was curtailed by rain. Michael Waltrip clinched victory in 2003, marking the first instance where the race teetered on the brink of a Monday continuation. In '03, the event only eked out three laps beyond the mandatory halfway mark before ominous clouds forced a red flag.

As Bill France Weather approached its 50th birthday, it seemed age wasn't treating it kindly. On its golden anniversary in '09, rain slashed 48 laps from the afternoon. Matt Kenseth, however, remained unfazed. Some wry old-timers jokingly dubbed it Brian France Weather, pinning yet another perceived mishap on the third-generation NASCAR leader - a jab not appreciated by many.

"Mild Matt" claimed victory once again three years later, marking the official decline of BFW. On the Sunday of race day, when the rain wasn't falling, it was pouring. "Let’s move this thing to Monday afternoon," they proposed. But BFW, now with a raspy voice, had other plans. "Okay, let's try Monday night." And so, officially, it was Tuesday morning, just after midnight - a Daytona 500 that took three days to complete, at least on paper.

We can't lay all the blame on BFW for that. It didn't crash into a jet dryer, igniting a fire that nearly melted Turn 3 before our eyes. No, that was poor Juan Pablo Montoya, whose car malfunctioned on a caution lap, sending him into a truck towing an apparatus fueled by jet fuel.

Bill France Weather managed to evade a couple of weather-related disasters through the teens, but the '20s began with a series of devastating blows, plunging BFW into the downward spiral we sadly witnessed end this past weekend. Unlike the previous century, this became known as the Pouring Twenties.

In 2020, they managed to run a few laps before the rain came pouring down. And then it kept raining and raining some more. Another Monday resumption ensued. The following year, Michael McDowell celebrated his feel-good victory, but BFW, increasingly frail, subjected him to a grueling five-and-a-half-hour rain delay before he could cross the finish line on Monday.

A brief respite followed with two years of splendid weather, but it appears that it took a toll on Bill France Weather because, well, you've witnessed these past two days.

In the history of Daytona, the Saturday race had been postponed to Monday twice - once in 1981 and again in 2004 - due to rain and the desire to avoid interference with Sunday's main event. The Daytona 500 had been halted by red flags twice and pushed to a Monday start or restart.