DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway has been postponed because of wet weather. The race is now scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Late-afternoon storms and lightning on Saturday delayed the opening of the Cup Series garage ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The wet weather lingered, pushing back the scheduled 7:46 p.m. ET green flag time at the 2.5-mile Florida track.
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When the race does start, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott will share the front row at the head of the 37-car field. Friday’s scheduled qualifying session was also a washout, and the field was set according to the NASCAR Rule Book, with Larson and Elliott ranked 1-2 in the performance metrics formula.
The annual 400-miler is the 26th of 36 events this season, and the final race that will settle the 16-driver grid for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Fourteen eligible drivers have locked themselves in with wins, and two final berths are open.
The 10-race postseason begins next weekend with the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 4 (6 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).