The pileup happened with 21 laps to go in the race.
As rain began to fall at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Sunday, a crash at the head of the race on lap 138 led to a pileup and red flag with just 21 laps to go. When everything was sorted, Auston Dillon came out ahead in first place, and it is unclear if and when the race will resume due to weather.
Many drivers were not happy that the race wasn’t halted before the rain became a significant factor.
“They had about a whole lap to call caution and tore up a lot of race cars,” Justin Haley, who was at the front of the pileup and in the lead, said. “That was pretty unacceptable.”
Daniel Suarez agreed that NASCAR should’ve done something after they found out that the rain was going to make the track too dangerous to drive.
“We knew the rain is coming, it’s raining next door,” he said. “I feel like they have a lot of technology there to know that this is very close, and if it is very close I don’t think it’s necessary to put us in those positions.
With this being the final race before the playoffs begin next weekend, the results of this race will have a huge impact on who moves on. A victory would clinch Dillon a spot in the field, and if the race can’t be continued, Martin Truex Jr. would replace Ryan Blaney for the final spot based on points, per Davey Segal.
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