It rained heavily at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Saturday, just a day before 40 drivers competed in the “Great American Race”.
Authorities were forced to cancel the last two practices before the NASCAR Daytona 500, in a season already altered because of the pandemic.
PARTY IN A PANDEMIC: NASCAR FANS POWER THROUGH DAYTONA
“Obviously, the 500 involves a lot of tradition, and we all love it and are grateful to have a little bit of track time for the hands-on guys,” David Wilson, head of Toyota Racing Development, said. “They always like to be able to get on the track and make sure everything is working as it should.”
Another noticeable difference will be the presence or absence of fans.
Daytona International Speedway has a capacity of 101,000, but due to COVID restrictions, that number has been reduced to approximately 30,000. But even with the cut, Sunday’s race is expected to be the biggest sporting event in the country since the coronavirus shut down much of the sports world almost a year ago.
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With so many challenges facing the event, fans will still have a lot to look forward to, as Denny Hamlin aims to make history at NASCAR by trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Daytona 500s.
NBA Hall of Fame member Michael Jordan will also try his hand at a new venture by becoming the first black principal owner of a full-time Cup Series team in almost 50 years.
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Viewers can tune in on Sunday at 2:30 pm (Eastern Time) on FOX to watch the 200 lap race. Those with a participating TV provider can also watch the race online and on smart devices using the FOX Sports app.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.