Unfortunately, the start of on-track activities on Saturday is being delayed thanks to a heavy thunderstorm that is rolling through the Daytona Beach area.
The upcoming “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300” for the NASCAR Xfinity Series saw their qualifying time cancelled due to the downpour. The rulebook will set the qualifying order for the race later today, handing Austin Cindric the pole with Justin Allgaier starting beside him.
The rain-out also hands multiple drivers DNQ’s for including Jordan Anderson, Tyler Reddick, Chris Cockrum, Ronnie Bassett Jr., and Mario Gosselin. Reddick, despite being a two-time champion, is not eligible for the past champions provisional due to not starting a race in 2020, a new rule NASCAR implemented in the offseason.
NASCAR expects to start drying track soon. It took a couple hours to dry the other night. Obviously wind and any sun can change how long it takes to dry. pic.twitter.com/DcotZCZYPT
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 13, 2021
The good news is that the weather is being to dissipate and track drying efforts should commence soon. But with a 2.5 mile, high-banked superspeedway, it will take a great amount of time to get the track ready for afternoon action.
Next up on the schedule, pending weather, is the ARCA Menards Series Season Opener at 1:30 PM EST and the Xfinity Series season opener at 5:00 PM EST. Both can be seen on FOX Sports 1, and the FOX Sports app.