High winds at Daytona International Speedway have caused the start of the AMA Superbike and Formula Xtreme warm-up sessions to be delayed Saturday morning. The winds, gusting as high as 50 mph, have forced officials to better secure the numerous soft barriers in place around the track, causing the delay, according to AMA Pro Racing Media Relations Manager Eric Putter. AMA Superbike practice was scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m., but that session is now tentatively scheduled to start at approximately 10:00 to 10:10 a.m. local time. Today’s races, again according to Putter, are anticipated to start on time. The 15-lap AMA Superbike race is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m., and the 67th Daytona 200 by Honda is scheduled to go off at 2:00 p.m. Originally, it was reported by officials that damp sections on the track, the remnants of Friday’s severe thunderstorms that nearly washed out the AMA Supercross race at the speedway, was the cause of the delay. But it was later clarified that the wind dislodging the safety barriers was the cause of the delay. Workers arrived at the speedway early Saturday morning and dried all of the damp sections of the track in preparation for an on-time start. The Weather Channel is forecasting a relatively slight chance (20%) of precipitation for the Daytona Beach, Florida area Saturday, but strong, gusting winds are expected throughout most of the day. UPDATE: AMA Superbike practice is now anticipated to start at 10:30 a.m. local time, which will result in the start of the AMA Superbike race being delayed, according to Putter. The Daytona 200 is still expected to start at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. SECOND UPDATE: The order of events for Saturday has been changed as a result of delays caused by high winds and associated problems, according to Putter. The biggest change is the AMA Superbike race has been moved from the morning to the afternoon, after the Daytona 200 race. The latest tentative schedule has Formula Xtreme and Superbike warm-ups scheduled from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. SPEED TV will then begin its pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, with the race scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. After the Daytona 200 and its post-race ceremonies, SPEED will continue with a pre-race show for the AMA Superbike event, which will now be televised live instead of tape-delayed. The anticipated start time of the AMA Superbike race is 4:58 p.m. The length of the AMA Superbike race remains 15 laps.
Updated Again: High Winds Delay Start Of AMA Practice At Daytona, Superbike Race Moved To Afternoon
Updated Again: High Winds Delay Start Of AMA Practice At Daytona, Superbike Race Moved To Afternoon
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