Rain Forces Early Suspension of Daytona 500 After Nine Laps
The season-opening Daytona 500 has been suspended after nine laps due to rain, with defending champion William Byron leading the pack.
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Byron took the lead on lap 8, ahead of Austin Cindric, Ty Dillon, polesitter Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano. The race began shortly after 2 PM ET, with Briscoe and Cindric on the front row. Briscoe led the first eight laps before Ty Dillon, in his new Kaulig Racing ride, briefly took control for three laps.
The caution flag was raised as the field entered the tri-oval to start lap 10, with three-wide racing in progress. NASCAR officials immediately directed cars to pit road and displayed the red flag. Weather forecasts indicate rain and heavy winds will persist for several hours.
Current standings show Helio Castroneves in 35th position, while Carson Hocevar, who lost the draft after the green flag, sits last on the leaderboard.
The race is scheduled for 200 laps around Daytona International Speedway and will be considered official at the halfway point (lap 100). Officials are monitoring weather conditions to determine when racing can safely resume.