Coke Zero 400 at Daytona goes green after long rain delay

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Coke Zero 400 began at 11:42 p.m. Sunday at Daytona International Speedway after being delayed 3 hours and 34 minutes because of rain.

Six previous Sprint Cup races this season were affected by rain.

Green flag was scheduled for 8:08 p.m. on NBC. The network is broadcasting its first Sprint Cup race since 2006. NBC Sports will carry 20 Cup races each season for the next decade. Traditionally, the Daytona summer race is held on Saturday, but was moved at the request of NBC in an effort to increase viewership.

Qualifying was also rained out on Friday, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start up front because he led the first practice, which is a contingency in such cases. A competition caution is scheduled for lap 25.

The start was the latest for an event at Daytona. Tony Stewart won the 2005 Daytona summer event at 1:42 a.m. in a race that began at 11 p.m.