Drivers aren’t the only ones who have plenty of prep work to do. There are a myriad of other people involved in all aspects of a racing team that help to put together the proper package to hopefully win on a major Sunday like the Daytona 500. That’s why when something like this has to be postponed an entire day — like today’s 11:00am CT race — everyone has to be able to adjust.
Carl Edwards knows what it takes to win and he’s ready as the polesitter for this year’s race. But he also knows that it’s not just about his own focus.
“This is one of the toughest things for us drivers,” Edwards said. “It’s now who can really stay focused. That’s not just the drivers, that’s the pit crews, the crew chiefs, everyone, the officials. But I think we’ll be just fine.”
The race was cancelled on Sunday for the first time in the event’s history after previous inclement weather issues have only led to delays or suspensions of the event after a certain amount of time. Even then, officials hope the weather cooperates enough today to allow it to happen.
“The longer runway we have tomorrow to get in the Daytona 500, the greater the likelihood for us to start and finish the event on Monday,” NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. “There are certainly a lot of considerations that go into the start time decision, and we believe scheduling it for noon gives us the best opportunity for us to get the race in tomorrow.”