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Daytona Xfinity race running late Monday after the Daytona 500. We have updates

LIVE UPDATES for the NASCAR Xfinity United Rentals 300 and Daytona 500 2024 results are here.

All eyes on the radar as the final preliminary before the Daytona 500 is set for a green flag this afternoon.

The Xfinity Series' United Rentals 300, on paper, is set to start shortly after 5 p.m. On wet asphalt, however, that won't be possible. The forecast hasn't gotten any worse. But it hasn't gotten any better.

Cup Series cars were scheduled for a final Daytona 500 practice at 10:30, but it was canceled due to rain. Qualifying for the United Rentals 300 was delayed from 11:30 but was set to start at 1:30 p.m. Thus far, the race remains on track for a 5 p.m. green flag.

DAYTONA 500 FAQ NASCAR openS its Cup Series season with an American classic

Six cars will not make the field for the United Rentals 300, with 44 set to attempt to qualify and only 38 making the field. Qualifying will air on FS1. Among the notable drivers entered in the Xfinity event include Hailie Deegan, Frankie Muniz, Shane van Gisbergen and Daniel Suarez.

We'll update things here throughout the day.

Daytona 500 Xfinity race postponed until Monday

Mother Nature finally won the battle.

NASCAR officially postponed Saturday's United Rentals 300, the opener of the Xfinity Series season, to Monday at 11 a.m. The race was originally scheduled to start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, was bumped up to 4:30, but shortly after Jesse Love won the pole in qualifying earlier in the afternoon, a steady mist set in and wouldn't relent.

Forecasts show that rain will threaten throughout the day on Sunday but no further changes to the schedule were made, meaning, for now, the Daytona 500 is still scheduled for a 3:11 p.m. green flag.

When will the Daytona Xfinity race start? A look at the live radar.

Drivers wait under umbrellas backstage before driver introductions start for the United Rentals 300, Saturday, February 17, 2024 as a light rain falls on Daytona International Speedway.
Drivers wait under umbrellas backstage before driver introductions start for the United Rentals 300, Saturday, February 17, 2024 as a light rain falls on Daytona International Speedway.

An indefinite delay continues at Daytona International Speedway as rain continues to fall.

The United Rentals 300, the Xfinity Series opener, was set to start at 4:30 after qualifying wrapped up this afternoon. However, rain began to fall shortly after Jesse Love took the pole and persists as we approach 5 o'clock.

Rain is in the forecast through Saturday night and most of Sunday, leaving the start of tomorrow's Daytona 500 at risk as well. While no start time has been given for Saturday night's race, here's a look at the live radar:

Daytona Xfinity race delayed

AJ Allmendinger walks out during the NASCAR Xfinity Seriese driver introductions for the United Rentals 300, Saturday, February 17, 2024 as a light rain falls on Daytona International Speedway.
AJ Allmendinger walks out during the NASCAR Xfinity Seriese driver introductions for the United Rentals 300, Saturday, February 17, 2024 as a light rain falls on Daytona International Speedway.

It looks like the 4:30 p.m. green flag for Saturday's Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 won't happen.

A light but steady rain continues to fall at Daytona International Speedway and though driver introductions for tonight's race have been performed, the track isn't ready for racing.

Daytona 500 weather update: Rain still falling

A steady mist has persisted at Daytona international Speedway just 45 minutes before the new scheduled start time of the United Rentals 300, the opener of the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Daytona Xfinity Series lineup

The lineup for Saturday's United Rentals 300:

  1. Jesse Love, No. 2 Chevrolet

  2. Austin Hill, No. 21 Chevrolet

  3. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet

  4. Parker Kligerman, No. 48 Chevrolet

  5. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Chevrolet

  6. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet

  7. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet

  8. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 20 Toyota

  9. Parker Retzlaff, No. 31 Chevrolet

  10. Anthony Alfredo, No. 5 Chevrolet

  11. Riley Herbst, No. 98 Ford

  12. Sammy Smith, No. 8 Chevrolet

  13. Patrick Emerling, No. 07 Chevrolet

  14. Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Toyota

  15. Sam Mayer, No. 1 Chevrolet

  16. Jeb Burton, No. 27 Chevrolet

  17. Cole Custer, No. 00 Ford

  18. Daniel Suarez, No. 14 Chevrolet

  19. Chandler Smith, No. 81 Toyota

  20. Ryan Truex, No. 19 Toyota

  21. Josh Williams, No. 11 Chevrolet

  22. Brandon Jones, No. 9 Chevrolet

  23. Garrett Smithley, No. 6 Chevrolet

  24. Leland Honeyman, No. 42 Chevrolet

  25. Kyle Weatherman, No. 91 Chevrolet

  26. Daniel Dye, No. 10 Chevrolet

  27. Josh Bilicki, No. 92 Chevrolet

  28. Hailie Deegan, No. 15 Ford

  29. David Starr, No. 66 Chevrolet

  30. Jordan Anderson, No. 32 Chevrolet

  31. Natalie Decker, No. 36 Chevrolet

  32. Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Ford

  33. Sage Karam, No. 26 Toyota

  34. Brennan Poole, No. 44 Chevrolet

  35. Dawson Cram, No. 4 Chevrolet

  36. Ryan Ellis, No. 43 Chevrolet

  37. Frankie Muniz, No. 35 Ford

  38. B.J. McLeod, No. 78 Chevrolet

Uh-oh, moisture returns to Daytona

Ponchos are back in style this afternoon, with a misting rain returning shortly after 3 p.m.
Ponchos are back in style this afternoon, with a misting rain returning shortly after 3 p.m.

Shortly after Xfinity qualifying ended, a misting rain returned to Daytona International Speedway.

That won't help the odds of starting the Xfinity race at 4:30.

In other news, we have a failed post-qualifying inspection in Xfinity. David Starr's car didn't pass tech, which DQs his team and brings Dawson Cram into the race from the "failed to qualify" category.

Daytona Xfinity pole taken by ARCA champ Jesse Love; SVG 5th

Jesse Love bested teammate and two-time defending event champion Austin Hill by three thousandths of a second, using a lap of 49.702 seconds to take the pole for Saturday evening's United Rentals 300.

Love, the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion, will run full time in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet this year with RCR sweeping the front row. AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman and Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the top five.

SVG jumps to the top of the Xfinity qualifying board

Shane van Gisbergen, three-time Supercars champion, has jumped to the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 49.83, unseating Jeremy Clements.

SVG ran the ARCA Menards race on Friday night but was collected in an early crash. He run his first full-time NASCAR season at the Xfinity level for Kaulig Racing this year.

Jeremy Clements leading Xfinity qualifying halfway through

Qualifying for the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 is now over halfway over with Jeremy Clements holding the fastest time on the board.

Currently, Clements is the only drive rto have broken the 180-miles-per-hour barrier in terms of average speed at 180.285. Anthony Alfredo, Riley Herbst and Patrick Emerling complete the top four.

Xfinity Series Daytona race moved earlier, to 4:30 this afternoon

Frankie Muniz on pit road gets set to make his qualifying run for the Xfinity Series' United Rentals 300 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Frankie Muniz on pit road gets set to make his qualifying run for the Xfinity Series' United Rentals 300 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.

Along with shortening the qualifying session to one round, NASCAR has moved up the start time for this afternoon's 120-lap United Rentals 300. Instead of starting shortly after 5, it'll go green at 4:30.

Weather permitting.

Qualifying is under way with the top 38 of 44 cars making the field for the United Rentals 300.

Xfinity Series qualifying order

  1. #44 Brennan Poole

  2. #29 Blaine Perkins

  3. #53 Joey Gase

  4. #14 Daniel Suarez

  5. #92 Josh Bilicki

  6. #74 Stanton Barrett

  7. #5 Anthony Alfredo

  8. #66 David Starr

  9. #4 Dawson Cram

  10. #43 Ryan Ellis

  11. #38 CJ McLaughlin

  12. #28 Kyle Sieg

  13. #78 BJ McLeod

  14. #42 Leland Honeyman

  15. #45 Caesar Bacarella

  16. #51 Jeremy Clements

  17. #07 Patrick Emerling

  18. #35 Frankie Muniz

  19. #19 Ryan Truex

  20. #36 Natalie Decker

  21. #91 Kyle Weatherman

  22. #27 Jeb Burton

  23. #6 Garrett Smithley

  24. #10 Daniel Dye

  25. #98 Riley Herbst

  26. #11 Josh Williams

  27. #97 Shane Van Gisbergen

  28. #8 Sammy Smith

  29. #18 Sheldon Creed

  30. #26 Sage Karam

  31. #00 Cole Custer

  32. #7 Justin Allgaier

  33. #9 Brandon Jones

  34. #81 Chandler Smith

  35. #1 Sam Maver

  36. #15 Hailie Deegan

  37. #48 Parker Kligerman

  38. #21 Austin Hill

  39. #16 AJ Allmendinger

  40. #2 Jesse Love

  41. #32 Jordan Anderson

  42. #31 Parker Retzlaff

  43. #39 Ryan Sieg

  44. #20 John Hunter Nemechek(i)

Xfinity Series qualifying will be one round

A crewman walks through one of the puddles in the wet cup garage, Saturday morning, February 17, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway.
A crewman walks through one of the puddles in the wet cup garage, Saturday morning, February 17, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway.

A change to the format of qualifying for the United Rentals 300 has also been implemented.

Instead of a round of qualifying producing a second round of 10 drivers, a single lap will set the entire field. Each car will turn in its best circuit starting at 1:30 p.m.

Xfinity qualifying set for 1:30 start, cars to pit road at 1

Drying efforts continue at Daytona International Speedway and with rain having subsided for now, there are plans to bring the Xfinity Series to the track.

Cars are set to roll onto pit road at 1 p.m. with the hope of starting Xfinity qualifying at 1:30. A reminder that six cars will not make the field for the race, which is still set for 5 p.m.

Xfinity Series qualifying delayed

Garage work continues at Daytona as a light rain comes and goes.
Garage work continues at Daytona as a light rain comes and goes.

A light rain has continued to fall at Daytona International Speedway and Xfinity Series qualifying, originally scheduled for 11:30 p.m., will not start on time.

As for when the session may be held, that remains unclear. The United Rentals 300 is still scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

Daytona 500 rain update: Final Cup Series practice canceled

It appears that Friday's first Cup Series practice will be its last.

The practice session scheduled for 10:30 on Saturday morning for cars in the Daytona 500 has been officially scrapped due to rain. Fox's Bob Pockrass was first to report.

Nothing else on Saturday's slate of events has been moved as of yet with Xfinity qualifying scheduled to start at 11:30.

Daytona 500 schedule of events: Saturday, February 17

After the ARCA Menards race was moved from Saturday to late Friday night, and eventually won by Gus Dean, the Saturday schedule looks a little different.

Of course, all eyes are to the skies as rain approaches. No update as of yet, but should any postponements occur, we will list them as soon as possible. Until then:

  • 10:30 - 11:20 a.m. — Cup Series practice

  • 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. — Xfinity Series qualifying

  • 5 p.m. — Xfinity Series, United Rentals 300 (FS1)

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona 500 2024 recap: NASCAR Xfinity race postponed to Monday