Venue: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 West International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach, Florida.
Scheduled start: Green flag targeted for 7:30 p.m. ET (coverage begins earlier on The CW).
Qualifying is earlier Friday (around 3:00 p.m. ET). Radio: MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This is the final points race of the regular season. The top 12 drivers in the standings after this event advance to the nine-race Chase for the championship.
Track Details
Length: 2.5 miles (4.023 km)
Configuration: Tri-oval superspeedway (asphalt)
Distance: 100 laps / 250 miles (402.3 km)
Stages: 30 / 60 / 100
Banking: 31 degrees in Turns 1–4; 18 degrees in the tri-oval (start/finish); minimal (roughly 3 degrees or less for drainage) on the straights
Backstretch: Approximately 3,000 feet long
Frontstretch: Approximately 3,800 feet total (including tri-oval section)
Track width: About 40 feet (plus apron)
Daytona produces classic high-speed pack racing with heavy drafting, frequent lead changes, and high potential for multi-car incidents (“The Big One”). Restrictor-plate/superspeedway rules package emphasizes strategy, positioning, and teamwork over pure single-car speed.
Weather Forecast (Daytona Beach area)
Friday features a high near 87–90°F with partly sunny to partly cloudy skies and a 40–50% chance of showers or thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon and toward evening. Heat index can approach 100°F during the day. By the evening race start, temperatures should fall into the mid-to-upper 70s°F with lighter south/southeast winds (around 5 mph). A slight chance of isolated storms remains possible early in the night window. Conditions are typical for late-August Florida and should be raceable, though any storms could cause delays.
Race History & Context
This event marks the 25th running of the summer O’Reilly/Xfinity race at Daytona and serves as the regular-season finale. Pack racing at Daytona is notoriously unpredictable—past editions have featured dramatic last-lap passes, massive wrecks, and surprising winners. Last year’s winner was Connor Zilisch (with relief help from Parker Kligerman in the later stages). The race often produces high attrition and rewards drivers skilled at navigating the draft while avoiding trouble.
Current Standings Snapshot
Justin Allgaier (#7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) leads the series with 1,048 points and a series-high 6 wins, plus strong top-5/top-10 numbers and most laps led.
Other top contenders include:
Carson Kvapil (#1 JRM) – 810 pts, 2 wins
Sheldon Creed (#00 Haas Factory Team) – 782 pts
Jesse Love (#2 RCR) – 749 pts
Corey Day (#17 Hendrick) – 727 pts
Brandon Jones (#20 JGR) – 718 pts
Austin Hill (#21 RCR) – 716 pts
Sammy Smith (#8 JRM) – 692 pts
The Chase cutline is extremely tight near 11th–13th (William Sawalich, Brent Crews, and Taylor Gray of Joe Gibbs Racing are among those fighting for the final spots, separated by a single point or very few in recent reports). Several drivers are already locked in; others need a strong result or help to advance.
Key Driver Matchups & Recent Form
Justin Allgaier enters as the points leader and most consistent driver. Strong average finish and dominance in wins make him a top threat if he can stay out of trouble.
Austin Hill and Jesse Love (RCR teammates) historically excel in pack racing; Hill has multiple superspeedway wins in recent seasons and is always a factor at Daytona.
Carson Kvapil and other JR Motorsports cars (Sammy Smith, etc.) bring depth and drafting partners.
Sheldon Creed, Brandon Jones, Corey Day, and Sam Mayer are consistent threats for stage points and strong finishes.
Bubble drivers (Sawalich, Crews, Gray, Rajah Caruth, etc.) will race aggressively for the final Chase berths.
Part-time or lower-running entries (Daniel Dye, Ryan Sieg, etc.) can still factor in the draft or cause chaos.
Recent form favors the top teams (JRM, RCR, JGR, Haas Factory). Superspeedway specialists and drivers with good plate-racing experience hold an edge. No practice is typical for this weekend, raising the importance of qualifying and race strategy.
Entry Notes
Approximately 39 cars entered for 38 starting spots (one will miss the show). Notable names include the usual full-time contenders plus extras such as Caesar Bacarella, Daniel Dye, Nick Sanchez, and others.
Betting Trends
Superspeedway races are high-variance. Favorites typically include points leaders and proven plate racers (Allgaier, Hill, Love, Kvapil, Creed, etc.), but longshots frequently win or finish strongly due to the draft and wrecks.
Favorites and strong organizations perform well when they stay clean, but value often lies in mid-pack or bubble drivers who can draft to the front late. Over on total lead changes or cautions is frequently popular. Avoid heavy favorites at short prices given the chaos factor.
Driver Odds
Austin Hill + 300
Jesse Love + 500
Justin Allgaier + 800
Sheldon Creed + 1000
Carson Kvapil + 1100
Sammy Smith + 1400
Sam Mayer + 1400
Corey Day + 1600
Taylor Gray + 2000
Brent Crews + 2000
Rajah Caruth + 2200
Jeb Burton + 2200
Brandon Jones + 2500
William Sawalich + 3000
Ryan Sieg + 3000
Parker Retzlaff + 3000
Harrison Burton + 3000
Nicholas Sanchez + 3500
Anthony Alfredo + 4000
Jeremy Clements + 4000
Josh Williams + 6000
Dean Thompson + 6000
Andy Jankowiak + 6500
Leland Honeyman Jr. + 6500
Daniel Dye + 6500
Brennan Poole + 9000
Patrick Staropoli + 10000
Blaine Perkins + 11000
Ryan Ellis + 15000
Kyle Sieg + 15000
Dawson Cram + 15000
Carson Ware + 15000
Josh Bilicki + 20000
Garrett Smithley + 20000
Mason Maggio + 25000
Lavar Scott + 25000
Joey Gase + 25000
Caesar Bacarella + 25000
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, August 27, 2026
