Daytona International Speedway has long been considered one of the most dramatic, high-action venues in all of auto racing and this Friday night, it’s likely to live up to the hype, hosting the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular season finale, the Winn Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET on the CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Eight drivers have clinched a position in the 12-driver Chase field with six drivers vying for the final four opportunities to race for a title.
And in one of the most compelling subplots to this regular season finale, positions 11th through 13th are all separated by a single point – and all of the drivers vying for those spots compete for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Viking Motorsports driver Parker Retzlaff need only gain 10 points in Friday night’s race and he claims the ninth Chase seed to make his first career championship run. Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer, a perennial title contender, sits 10th in the points and holds a 33-point advantage on 14th place Rajah Caruth.
Those 11th through 13th positions feature that tight tussle between JGR teammates William Sawalich, Brent Crews and Taylor Gray.
None of the six drivers – Retzlaff, Mayer, Sawalich, Crews, Gray or Caruth – has ever won an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona. Among them, Caruth earned the best finish (10th) in February’s first visit to the speedway.
The 2024 series champion, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, has turned in one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory earning a career high and season-best six wins and holding a massive 238-point advantage on the field heading into Daytona. This will be his record 11th title run.
JR Motorsports Carson Kvapil, reigning series champion, Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, Haas Motorsports’ Sheldon Creed, Hendrick Motorsports rookie Corey Day, JGR’s Brandon Jones, RCR’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith have all clinched a shot at the 2026 title.
Daytona has traditionally proven to be a place Hill shines and this would be a prime week to do so, having been named to drive fulltime at the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027 for the RCR team.
He is a four-time Daytona winner, including this February. Love (2025) and Allgaier (2023) have also visited Daytona’s famed Victory Lane
The last two Daytona O’Reilly Series races have been won from pole position. Kennametal Pole Qualifying is set for Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.
— NASCAR Wire Service —