Will weather delay Daytona 500? How often has rain held up the 'Great American Race'

Tennessee fans know the Daytona 500 is more than just a race — it’s the Great American Race, and anything can happen.

During the first 44 years of the Daytona 500, rain rarely touched the event, earning nearby skies the nickname “Bill France weather,” after the track’s founder. But in recent years, rain has become part of the story, forcing delays postponements, and even Monday finishes — keeping Americans on the edge of their seats.

But the tide turned in 2003, and since then the race has been shortened twice by rain, postponed a day by rain three times and delayed on the day of the race at least twice.

For the 2024 race, originally scheduled on Feb. 18, Daytona set a new February rainfall record of 1.35 inches. William Byron claimed the victory the following Monday and went on to repeat his win in 2025, in another rain-delayed race.

With Byron attempting a third consecutive Daytona 500 win, fans will be watching closely as rain threatens to interfere with the event again. With a history of surprises, the race promises drama, excitement, and maybe a little rain-soaked chaos — exactly the kind of thrill fans in the Volunteer State live for.

Daytona 500 weather forecast: Rain has potential to impact NASCAR race

Rain at the Daytona 500: Historic weather delays, postponements

• 1963, 1973, 1979 – The race started under caution due to wet conditions for the first 10, 13 and 15 laps, respectively, according to WCNC. These early adjustments kept the field safe while officials waited for track conditions to improve.
• 1965 & 1966 – The first two rain-shortened Daytona 500s. Fred Lorenzen led in 1965 when the race was called on lap 133 of 200. Richard Petty won the 1966 rain-shortened race.
• 2003 – Rain forced the race to be called after 109 laps, the shortest Daytona 500 ever, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Michael Waltrip won, marking his second Daytona 500 victory and the first rain-shortened race since 1966. The green flag came nearly half an hour early due to incoming showers, and multiple cautions and red flags occurred before the final call.
• 2009 – A severe rainstorm forced the race to be stopped with 48 laps to go.
• 2010 – The race went the full distance, but two stoppages totaling 40 minutes occurred due to a pothole that formed between turns one and two from moisture and heavy cars scraping the tarmac.
• 2012 – Heavy rain delayed the race from Sunday to Monday evening at 7:02 p.m., marking the first primetime Daytona 500 start. Matt Kenseth won.
• 2014 – Rain caused a 6-hour, 22-minute red flag, the longest rain delay in Daytona 500 history. According to the Weather Channel, a tornado warning was in place, and briefly evacuated the grandstands before the race resumed, which ran under caution for several laps as the track dried.
• 2020 – After a pre-race visit from President Donald Trump on Sunday, persistent rain stopped the race on lap 20 and forced it to be postponed to Monday.
• 2021 – A 16-car wreck followed immediately by rain led to a 5-hour, 40-minute red-flag stoppage. The race resumed and finished later the same day.
• 2024 – After a visit by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, rain hit mid-race, forcing the Daytona 500 to be postponed to Monday, when William Byron claimed the win. The track set a new February rainfall record of 1.35 inches.
• 2025 — Rain hit early. On lap 9, the first caution flew due to showers, leading to a red flag at 2:20 p.m. After a 3-hour, 10-minute stoppage, the race restarted at 5:30 p.m., with several laps under the safety car to dry pit lane. After pit stops and 10 laps behind the safety car, another brief red flag came at 5:54 p.m. for light drizzle, lifted at 6:15 p.m. With 44 laps remaining in the first stage, teams pitted again. Byron repeated the victory in 2025 in a rain-delayed race.

2026 Daytona 500 weather forecast

This year, as Byron aims to become the first driver in history to win three consecutive Daytona 500s, rain may once again play a decisive role.

The forecast for Feb. 15 calls for mostly cloudy skies until early evening, with a 20% chance of rain. By late afternoon, that chance climbs to 60%, and overnight showers are expected to exceed an 80% chance, keeping teams and fans on edge.