A cloudy and drizzly day dampened the spirits of NASCAR fans who showed up for the 54th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The action-packed races all throughout Speedweeks had provided an exciting buildup to the 500, and the race was schedule to start at 1:30 PM. But after driver introductions, the ceremonial invocation and national anthem, there was nothing. Just more rain.
With more rain came more waiting. Some fans waited in the grandstands in ponchos. Others crowded underneath overhangs, while others sought refuge in their cars. When NASCAR finally made the call to reschedule the race at around 5:00 PM, the mood was even drearier than the weather. Thousands of fans had to return home without ever seeing a single car pull onto the track.
It is the first time in NASCAR history the Super Bowl of stock car racing has been postponed. The new start time is set for 12:00 PM on Monday afternoon, but Monday’s weather does not look much more promising. Still, NASCAR will attempt the race, and any fans that are able to attend will show, ready to wait it out again if necessary. Hopefully Mother Nature will not claim her second Daytona 500 win of the season.