The Pepsi 400, the first night NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway, was postponed Thursday because of wildfires burning out of control in Florida.

The holiday race, scheduled for Saturday night, was billed as the largest night sports event ever."The wildfires plaguing Daytona Beach and surrounding communities intensified Wednesday night to a level that makes postponing this race the right thing to do," said John Graham, speedway president.

The race was rescheduled for Oct. 17.

The postponement is the first in the 39-year history of the Pepsi 400, the traditional midway point of the Winston Cup series.

The race would have been the first motor sports event televised by a network during prime time. CBS Sports, which owns the rights to the race, could not immediately say whether its schedule would allow for a night race Oct. 17.

While the fires have not directly affected the 480-acre speedway, access for fans was questionable.