Ten Things To Watch For In The Daytona 500

Here comes the rain

While not always a factor when determining the outcome of the annual Great American Race, rain has still altered and even determined a few Daytona 500 winners in the event’s rich history. The first time rain played a factor in The 500 was in 1965, when the race was handed to Fred Lorenzen after 133 laps. This would eventually become the second shortest Daytona 500 in history.

The next rain-shortened race came a year later when the race was shortened by only two laps. Beyond the date, The Daytona 500 has only been shortened on three other occasions, including two races in the early 2000’s. Although the race hasn’t been shortened in over five years, the race was moved to Monday night for the first time in 2012. This was also the first that a Daytona 500 began at night.

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