Denny Hamlin wins Daytona 500 for second straight year

DAYTONA, Fla. — Update: Denny Hamlin wins NASCAR’s Daytona 500 for second straight year.

Original report:

The Daytona 500 was washed out by rain Monday, but the cars are back on the track to try again Tuesday.

This is just the second time they've had to finish the Daytona 500 on a Monday, but officials were ready, and track president Chip Wile said they had a plan in place months ago, in case this turned into a President's Day event.

The race was already delayed a few minutes Monday to accommodate a visit from President Donald Trump, then right before the green flag, a short burst of rain forced drivers to park their cars for about 30 minutes.

When the drivers finally did get on the track again, they only made it 20 of the 200 laps before more rain brought out the red flag again.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was on the pole when the race started and he is still in the lead, trying to become the first driver to win the Daytona 500 from the pole, since Dale Jarrett in 2000.

There are a few clouds in the sky, but overall a beautiful day for racing.

The Daytona 500 is a 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series season opener, according to NASCAR.

The race is held at Daytona International Speedway, which is two and a half miles long and requires 200 laps to complete, NASCAR said.

Read: Daytona 500: What to expect ahead of race, President Trump’s arrival

The race is “considered the most prestigious and important race in NASCAR, according to NASCAR’s website.

The Daytona 500 has opened the NASCAR season every February since 1982.

This year, Trump made an special visit to the race. He arrived at the Daytona International Airport just after 1 p.m. Sunday.

WATCH: President Donald Trump arrives ahead of Daytona 500

WATCH: President Donald Trump arrives in Daytona ahead of Daytona 500 President Donald Trump arrived in Daytona ahead of the Daytona 500.

To read more about the race, visit here.

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