The green flag for the Daytona 500 and the start of 2025 NASCAR season is about to be dropped, and there’s more hope this time for a normal Sunday finish. But after rain forced this iconic stock car race to be postponed last year, the latest forecast indicates inclement weather will also threaten to impact the 2025 edition.
There’s an increasing chance of rain Sunday afternoon in the vicinity of Daytona International Speedway, according to the National Weather Service, with ‘showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm’ after 1 p.m. ET. The 2025 Daytona 500, held in Daytona Beach, Florida since 1959, is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The 2024 Daytona 500 won by William Byron had to be postponed until Monday due to two days of persistent rain at the track, and also included the cancellation of the final NASCAR practice and the postponement of the XFinity Series race. It was the first time the Daytona 500 had been postponed a full day since 2012. The 2020 Daytona 500 also finished on Monday after a weather delay 20 laps into the race.
The weather this year looks to be a mixed bag again. With action getting underway at Daytona International Speedway beginning Wednesday, here’s a breakdown of what could be in store for drivers and fans at the 2025 Daytona 500 and the Daytona Speedweeks events leading into NASCAR’s biggest race:
Daytona 500 weather forecast: Will it rain?
Maybe, and it’s been trending toward probably as of Wednesday morning. But perhaps this year the rain only causes a race delay, rather than a race postponement.
The National Weather Service states there is a 60% chance of precipitation in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday, with the biggest threats of rain occurring in the afternoon after 1 p.m. ET. Those chances have gone up since the beginning of the week, but the likelihood of a washout at the Daytona 500 seem lower than a year ago. The forecast calls for partly cloudy weather by Sunday night, in addition to the chance for partly sunny weather in the hours preceding race time.
And there’s more good news …
Daytona Speedweeks weather forecast
The weather could be a temporary issue at various times during Daytona Speedweeks, but the events leading up to the Daytona 500 shouldn’t be impacted in the manner they were last year. NASCAR’s practice and Daytona 500 pole qualifying runs on Wednesday have a clear forecast from the National Weather Service, and there’s a 40% chance of showers after 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, with thunderstorms possible after 10 p.m. The Daytona Duels races are scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.
There’s only a 20% chance of showers Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR XFinity Series are scheduled to hold their season opening races.
How to watch 2025 Daytona 500: TV, streaming for NASCAR race
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Fubo, FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app
- Where: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida)
Watch the Daytona 500 with Fubo
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