DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest race, came to a halt early Sunday afternoon due to rain. Once again, the event had been delayed due to weather.
NASCAR moved the race up by one hour and set a 2 p.m. ET green flag time. The drivers didn't fully hit this time due to extended pace laps featuring President Donald Trump, but the race did begin as the historic Wood family waved the green flag.
Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe led the field to the green and then he led four laps in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Ty Dillon of Kaulig Racing and William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports both led laps as well before rain brought out the caution.
Byron was in the lead at the time of the caution, and he led the field to the green flag for the restart after a delay lasting 3 hours and 9 minutes. The drivers have completed 11 laps -- two under caution.
Sunday marked the sixth time since 2012 that the Great American Race had an extended delay due to rain in Florida. This marked a major change considering that there were no Daytona 500 delays between 1959-2011.
The 2012 Daytona 500 was delayed multiple times. It first moved from a Sunday to a Monday. It then moved to a 7 p.m. ET start. A third delay -- not weather-related -- occurred in the middle of the race after Juan Pablo Montoya collided with the jet dryer. The Daytona 500 resumed at almost midnight.
The 2014 Daytona 500 was delayed 6 hours and 22 minutes -- a race record -- after the drivers completed 38 laps. They resumed the race the same day as Dale Earnhardt Jr. ultimately won.
The 2020 Daytona 500 was also delayed and then postponed due to rain. The drivers completed 20 laps before heavy rainfall forced NASCAR to move the race to Monday.
The 2021 Daytona 500 was delayed nearly 6 hours due to rain in Florida. The race resumed on a Sunday, but it ended after midnight.
Last season's Daytona 500 was the last to start well after the designated time. NASCAR had planned the race for a Sunday but ultimately moved it to Monday before drivers even climbed into their cars.