NASCAR announced that the 2025 Daytona 500 will start one hour early on Sunday to avoid potential inclement weather.
The 67th running of the “Great American Race” was initially scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. ET start.
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The National Weather Service predicts a 50% chance of rain on Sunday afternoon, leading officials to modify the schedule to guarantee the race concludes on time.
Coverage for the event will now begin at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The expected green flag for the race is now 2 p.m. ET. NASCAR officials adjusted the schedule to provide a larger window for completing all 500 miles on race day.
The weather service forecast includes a 50% chance of rain on Sunday afternoon.
Forecasters indicated a greater chance of precipitation moving into the area later that evening.
The schedule change follows two consecutive years where rain has impacted the event at Daytona International Speedway.
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The 2024 Daytona 500 was moved to Monday due to weather-related washout conditions.
Last year’s running of the race remained on its scheduled day but was slowed by three one/2 hours of red-flag time due to weather conditions.
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