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Delayed Daytona 500 Could Provide Problems For Hauling Crews

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The 2012 Daytona 500 has already been delayed until Noon on Monday, but with the weather forecast still looking grim, there is no certainty the race will be run on time on Monday, if at all. But the big issue might not be with the running of the race itself, according to Nate Ryan of USA Today, the teams will have to face a difficult trek across the Country for their race in Phoenix next week.

Even if the race can be squeezed in today, it still would make for a brutal turnaround. NASCAR races at Phoenix International Raceway next weekend, and team's haulers are due to enter the 1-mile track at 5 p.m. Thursday. It's roughly a 32-hour drive from NASCAR teams' Charlotte hub to Phoenix. That might force teams to scramble in sending their Phoenix cars to Florida rather than bringing their haulers back to Charlotte (a seven-hour drive from Daytona Beach) to swap out their cars.

Who wants to take a scenic drive cross-country? Who wants to do it in two days?

For updates on the status of the Daytona 500 today, keep it to the official SB Nation StoryStream. For updates on the go, follow SB Nation Motorsports Editor Jeff Gluck on Twitter. For all things NASCAR, head over to the SB Nation NASCAR hub page.

Photographs by cstreet.us, thelastminute, turtlemom nancy , fesek, kthypryn, justinwright, sue_elias, pointnshoot, and scrapstothefuture used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.