Daytona 500 in Jeopardy?! Shocking Weather Threatens NASCAR Opener!

Daytona 500: Will Weather Rain on NASCAR's Parade? Forecast Update.

Daytona 500 in Jeopardy?! Shocking Weather Threate...

The Daytona 500, NASCAR's crown jewel event, is already wrestling with Mother Nature, raising the big question: will Sunday's race even get the green flag without some serious weather drama? It seems like Daytona and dramatic weather go hand in hand, doesn't it? It's part of the spectacle, almost.

Even before the official "Daytona Day" arrived, the weather was already making its presence felt. In a preemptive move, NASCAR announced Saturday they were bumping up the start time by a whole hour, hoping to sneak in ahead of some nasty weather predicted to hit Daytona Beach, Florida. Anyone who's followed racing for a while knows weather delays at Daytona International Speedway are about as common as pit stops.

So, mark your calendars, folks. The Daytona 500 is now scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, with the coveted green flag waving (hopefully) around 2:13 p.m. ET. That gives them a bit of a buffer, but will it be enough?

According to the ever-reliable FOX Weather team, the forecast isn’t exactly sunshine and roses. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to roll in around 6 p.m. ET, bringing with them a 40 percent chance of rain. That chance jumps to a whopping 100 percent by 7 p.m. ET. Temperatures will range from a high of 80 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 59, with winds potentially gusting up to 40 mph. Sunset's slated for 6:13 p.m. ET. Thankfully, Daytona is equipped with lights, but visibility in heavy rain can be a real problem.

"For the Daytona 500 on Sunday, the longer the race goes, the worse the forecast gets," FOX Forecast Center warns. "A storm system will be moving in from the west and is poised to reach the Daytona Beach area by the early evening. We're tracking mostly cloudy skies with highs in the upper 70s for the duration of the race. However, should the race run long, light to moderate rain will begin to move in starting around 6 p.m. ET. A few lightning strikes will be possible around the race track, but not until after 8 p.m. ET." Lightning, of course, would bring an immediate halt to the proceedings.

Last year's Daytona 500 was already plagued by rain, forcing two delays that stretched on for a combined three hours and 30 minutes. Ultimately, William Byron snagged the victory after the race finally resumed. And let’s not forget the Clash at Bowman Gray, which turned into a bit of a slog with all that rain and caution flags. Fingers crossed, that early start time will let the Daytona 500 proceed smoothly. Let's hope we get a clean race and some good ol' fashioned racing action!