Sunday recap: Was the Daytona 500 postponed? NASCAR moves Great American Race to Monday

The Daytona 500 was scheduled to begin at 2:30 this afternoon on television.

On the track, the start time, as in the green flag, was 3:11.

But anyone looking out of their window knew all of that was tentative.

Saturday's Xfinity Series opener was, predictably, rained out. It's been rescheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. And now the Daytona 500 has followed along.

DAYTONA 500 RAIN HISTORY: The Daytona 500 is no stranger to rain. Take a look back at races interrupted by weather

Check back here for any additional updates throughout the day.

The Rock gives Denny Hamlin heel advice at Daytona 500

Dwayne Johnson is back in WWE as an in-ring performer and a board member of its parent company, the TKO Group, as of last month. It’s where he started and what launched him to superstardom more than two decades ago — before the United Football League and all the businesses and all the Hollywood blockbusters.

Now, ahead of Wrestlemania 40 in April, The Rock turned heel for the first time since 2003. His character is the bad guy.

“The Big, Bad Wolf,” Johnson said. “Denny Hamlin, for example, which I love.”

Yes, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, grand marshal for the 2024 Daytona 500, considers himself a Denny Hamlin fan.

No Daytona 500 today. Here's the new 2024 Daytona 500 start time, TV schedule

Right about now is when drivers should have been starting their engines for the 2024 Daytona 500. Alas, the rain pushed the start time back to Monday. Here's the updated schedule:

• Start time: 4 p.m. Monday, February 19

• TV: Fox

• Streaming: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app (TV provider log-in required), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will return Monday as Daytona 500 grand marshal

The Rock will come back to Daytona International Speedway for a second day, and to fulfill his duties as Daytona 500 grand marshal.

Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson told Speedway President Frank Kelleher ahead of his scheduled press conference that he will stay in town for the additional day. Johnson, a globally known movie star, professional wrestler and entrepreneur, will give the 40 Cup Series drivers the command to start their engines around 4 p.m. Monday, assuming the weather holds.

"I would say the most exciting thing I have going on right now is being the grand marshal for the Daytona 500. It's awesome," Johnson said. "When you are a sports fan, something like this really becomes an honor and a privilege. I am a lucky guy to be in this position in my career to be the grand marshal and say those four iconic words — much different than the words I usually hear, which is, 'Honey, don't do that.'

"I try to make sure that everything I do these days … is the most exciting thing that I'm doing. I've got babies at home, and being a daddy is my favorite role. I want to make sure I am using my time wisely in anything I do, like the UFL, movies or back in professional wrestling, which is my first love."

Some NASCAR fans leave Daytona 500 for home disappointed

Morgan Wasik's first Daytona 500 trip ended in disappointment, a nearly 20-hour drive without seeing the Great American Race in person.

She expected to "quite literally bawl (her) entire way back to Oklahoma" if the event was delayed, let alone postponed until the following day. By Sunday morning, Wasik, 25, was fed up with cold and wet conditions despite preparing for them before leaving home.

"I'm pretty upset about not being able to see it happen in person but we took our chances with the forecast being what it was," Wasik said in a Twitter direct message. "We are on our way back home now unfortunately due to work and camping is out of the picture now."

Pitbull Daytona 500: Rapper makes 2025 pre-race concert official

After Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher gifted Pitbull a custom Daytona 500 leather jacket during a press conference Sunday, he had a question for Mr. Worldwide.

"I would like to formally ask your availability to preform the pre-race show next year for the 2025 Daytona 500," Kelleher said. "Want to check your calendar?"

Pitbull responded with a touch of his classic showmanship.

"Well, I’ll tell you what: old school, no contract, no nothing," he said before removing his sunglasses and hat. "Just handshake, eye to eye, face to face, mano a mano, baby! I will be here in 2025."

He grabbed Kelleher's hand and wrapped him into a hug.

Pitbull — real name Armando Christian Pérez — had been scheduled to do the pre-race show this weekend. But with inclement weather shifting the 500 to Monday, he couldn't stick around due to scheduling conflicts.

Daytona 500 postponed: Pitbull, DJ Khaled, Madison Marsh all out on Monday

Due to scheduling conflicts, and the Daytona 500's postponement until Monday afternoon, Pitbull will not perform a pre-race concert this year. However, the Trackhouse Racing co-owner has already agreed to take the stage in 2025, speedway officials confirmed.

Additionally, DJ Khaled will depart Daytona without waving the green flag as honorary starter, and Miss America titleholder Madison Marsh — the honorary pace car driver — is unable to attend the rescheduled race.

DJ Khaled expresses interest in NASCAR ownership

Though scheduling conflicts will prevent DJ Khaled from sticking around to fulfill his role as honorary starter of the Daytona 500, the popular record producer expressed interest in a significantly larger NASCAR role during his press conference Sunday morning.

"Absolutely. I would love to be a team owner," he said. "I hope to have a "We The Best" car out here someday one day, God willing, and to bring home a trophy."

Pitbull, whom DJ Khaled described as his "brother," is a co-owner for Trackhouse Racing. DJ Khaled also cited Michael Jordan, co-owner of the 23XI Racing team, as inspiration for potential involvement in the Cup Series.

The 48-year-old has produced 57 songs that have hit the Billboard Hot 100, including one No. 1 ("I'm The One, featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil' Wayne) and seven top-10 hits.

What is the weather forecast for the Daytona 500 on Monday?

There will be a racing doubleheader on Monday, with the Xfinity Series race starting at 11 p.m. and the Daytona 500 set for 4 p.m. if the weather holds out. The forecast is much better than Sunday:

Chance of rain Monday: 20 percent

Monday temperatures: High of 62 degrees

National Weather Service forecast summary: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1 p.m. Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 62. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

No word yet on Daytona 500 extras, such as Pitbull, The Rock, etc. ...

The Daytona 500 comes with a lot of ornaments, usually in the form of celebrities and dignitaries. The 2024 race was packaged with a prerace concert from Pitbull, along with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson performing Grand Marshal duties.

No word yet on whether everything (or how much) will carry over to Monday's rescheduled race time.

Daytona 500 postponed to Monday

As it turned out, NASCAR didn't wait too long to make the call.

With rain pounding the area and expected to continue throughout Sunday, the decision to move the Daytona 500 to Monday was made at 9:30 a.m. The Great American Race will start at approximately 4 p.m. Monday, after the conclusion of the Xfinity Series opener, the United Rentals 300, which is slated for an 11 a.m. start.

Is the Daytona 500 rescheduled?

Nope. Not yet anyway.

As of 9:18 a.m. on Sunday morning, no changes have been made to the schedule. The drop of the green flag is still technically set for 3:11 p.m. this afternoon.

But, a quick look at the window paints an ominous ... and gray ... picture. And if you're not in the area, here's a look at the current, live radar:

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona 500 recap: NASCAR race moved to Monday due to rain, weather