Daytona ARCA 200 moved to Friday night due to weather concerns for Saturday

The Daytona ARCA 200 has been moved to Friday at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET due to forecasted inclement weather on Saturday, the series announced.

Green flag will drop after the Fresh From Florida 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, and broadcast live on FS2 and move to FS1 following the conclusion of college basketball. The Daytona ARCA 200 was originally scheduled to take place at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

Fans with Saturday grandstand tickets and admission to the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone may attend the Friday night double-header with their tickets, the ARCA Menards Series stated in a press release.

Nearly 50 drivers are looking to qualify for the 40-car field. Qualifying is taking place in groups on Friday at Daytona International Speedway. Each group is made up of nine cars, determined by a random draw. Each group has four minutes on the clock when released from pit road, and each driver’s fastest lap will be their speed of record, per Tadd Haislop of ARCARacing.com. The fastest 34 drivers are locked into the race, the final six positions reserved for provisional starts.

Greg Van Alst looking to defend Daytona ARCA 200 crown

Greg Van Alst won the race last year, his first-career victory in the ARCA Menards Series, after passing Jason White on the final lap. Van Alst is back in the field this year behind the wheel of the No. 35 Chevrolet for Greg Van Alst Motorsports.

19-year-old reigning champion Jesse Love is not in the field, making the jump to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024. Love will drive the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, previously piloted by Sheldon Creed.

“I’ve been fortunate to gain a lot of racing experience at a young age. But nothing compares to the opportunity to race for a legendary team like Richard Childress Racing,” Love said this past October. “I have so much respect for Richard Childress and am extremely grateful to be able to race and learn with one of the most successful teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“I’ve dreamed of racing at the highest levels of the sport since I was a young kid. And the path to the NASCAR Cup Series seems more clear with this opportunity. It’s even more special to be able to represent a company like Whelen. Who has a long-standing involvement in motorsports and strong focus on building American-made products.”