Toyota Daytona 500 weather may affect The Great American Race

Denny Hamlin helps teammate Christopher Bell win Daytona 500 qualifying race. Toyota sweeps, Hamlin leads the way. Weather may impact Sunday's race.

Daytona Beach, Florida - There was an air of camaraderie and sportsmanship at the Daytona 500 qualifying race, as Denny Hamlin congratulated his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Christopher Bell, on his victory. Hamlin, a seasoned Daytona 500 winner, shared his wisdom with Bell, guiding him to victory lane.

The Toyota camp, which had a disappointing showing in time trials for the season-opening Daytona 500, made a remarkable comeback. Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing and Bell secured victories in the 150-mile qualifying races, marking the first sweep of the Daytona qualifying races for Toyota since 2014.

With Hamlin's earlier victory in the exhibition Clash at the Coliseum, Toyota is heading into the Daytona 500 with a perfect record of 3 wins in 3 races for its new Camry XSE. The automaker has nine Toyota drivers qualified for Sunday's field, the most entries Toyota has had in the Daytona 500 since 2011.

Paul Doleshal, the group manager of motorsports at Toyota North America, expressed initial concern when no Toyota driver cracked the top 20 in time trials. However, the strong performance in the qualifying races has left them encouraged.

The odds for the Daytona 500 have initially favored Hamlin, who is Toyota's only Daytona 500 winner with three previous victories. However, Joey Logano, who will start from the pole for Team Penske in a new Ford Dark Horse Mustang, and Kyle Busch, who crashed in the qualifying race, are also strong contenders.

There is anticipation surrounding the race, with weather expected to play a role. Rain is expected to hit Daytona on Saturday, leading NASCAR to make adjustments to the schedule. The final practice session ahead of the Daytona 500 was canceled due to rain, and the Xfinity Series race has been rescheduled for Monday.

The defending race winner, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will be looking to defend his title, while there is great anticipation to see how both Ford and Toyota perform in new cars designed for this season.

As the race approaches, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation for the Daytona 500, with high expectations for an action-packed and thrilling event.