Rain washes out much of Thursday's practice at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Inclement weather washed out much of Sprint Cup practice Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.<br /> <br /> The most laps any driver turned during the first of two practice sessions were 26, and the second one was canceled because of heavy rain around the famed track.<br /> <br /> "We stayed out on the track until almost the end and there was a big lightning bolt out there in turn one and that was a pretty neat picture out of the window there," Carl Edwards said.<br /> <br /> Bad weather is fairly typical for the July race at Daytona, and teams seemed prepared for it.<br /> <br /> The shortened practice had high speeds and tight-knit drafting, which Edwards said was because drivers knew the starting grid for Saturday night's race would be determined by practice speeds if other sessions and qualifying get rained out Friday.<br /> <br /> "If we do get to qualify, it is going to be crazy," Edwards said. "It is going to be interesting. You saw a glimpse of it there a minute ago with everyone pacing around and not wanting to be the rabbit out there. At the end of the day, this is what this new Chase format was made for, a race like this in the middle of the summer with guys that have to win and guys like myself with nothing to lose. It is going to be a crazy race.<br /> <br /> <i>WDUN will have live MRN Radio coverage the full NASCAR race weekend from Daytona International Speedway, beginning tonight with the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Firecracker 250 beginning at 7 pm on 102.9 FM and 550 AM, and continuing with Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 beginning at 6:30 pm on 102.9 FM and 550 AM.</i>