The red flag finally has been lifted at the 67th Daytona 500, which was stopped for more than three hours after completing 11 laps at Daytona International Speedway.
The green flag flew on Lap 24, which was nearly four hours after the first red flag was displayed for rain. There were 41 laps remaining in Stage 1
Track drying nearly was complete as the field left the pits under a caution flag at 5:30 p.m. ET. But just as the green flag was ready to be unfurled again, rain hit the speedway at 5:50 p.m. ET, and the cars were brought back to the pits after circling the track under yellow for 20 minutes.
The race was stopped again under a red flag at 5:55 p.m. ET, and drivers remained in their cars in hopes of returning without further track drying being needed.
About 20 minutes later, the red flag again was lifted, and cars returned to the track under yellow on Lap 21 at 6:15 p.m. Per the Weather Underground forecast, there was no rain expected for the rest of the night.
Ryan Blaney was shown as the leader, followed by Zane Smith, Riley Herbst, Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano.
The start of the race was moved up more than an hour Friday because of a forecast for inclement weather, and the green flag waved at 2:06 p.m. ET.
But the caution fell at 2:14 p.m. ET on Lap 10 for rain in Turn 2, and the 41 cars were brought to the pits a few minutes later. Drivers began exiting their cars at 2:25 p.m.
Prerace ceremonies included a visit by President Donald Trump, who addressed the 41 drivers over the team radios from the presidential limousine known as “The Beast,” which took part in the pace laps ahead of the field.
“This is your favorite president,” Trumptold the drivers. “I’m a big fan. I am a really big fan of you people. How you do this, I don’t know, but I just want you to be safe. You’re talented people and you’re great people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun, and I’ll see you later.”
President Trump, who became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl last week, arrived at Daytona International Speedway at around 1:30 p.m. and left during the rain delay, returning to his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, by 4 p.m.
Before landing at Daytona Beach International Airport (which is just behind the backstretch), Air Force One buzzed the Daytona International Speedway, which had a sellout crowd of 100,000.
Trump is the second sitting U.S. president to attend the Daytona 500, having attended in a 2020 race (which also was delayed by rain and eventually postponed to Monday). President George W. Bush gave the command to start engines at the 2004 Daytona 500.
This is the fourth time in five years that the Daytona 500 has been delayed.
Last year, the start was postponed to Monday because of storms. In 2021, the race started but was delayed by nearly six hours by rain. In 2020, the start was delayed for more than an hour by rain, and the race was postponed to Monday after 20 laps because of another storm.
