Rain, potholes, fire: Daytona 500 delays now common in NASCAR's 'Great American Race'

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Daytona 500 continued its recent run of interruptions with a rain delay only 38 laps into the race.

NASCAR ordered cars to the pits early in the 200-lap race on Sunday with rain falling at Daytona International Speedway.

The Air Titan made its Daytona 500 debut. The Air Titan was designed to blow the water out of every weeper and reduce track drying time.

Daytona delays are becoming common.

Matt Kenseth won a rain-shortened Daytona 500 in 2009. The 2010 Daytona 500 was interrupted for more than two hours because of a pothole in the track.

Rain forced the 2012 race to be run on a Monday night for the first time. Juan Pablo Montoya slammed into a jet dryer that night, igniting a raging inferno that caused another two-hour delay. Safety workers used Tide laundry detergent to clean up the track.