It’s the final race of the regular season for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The drivers finish the regular season where they started – Daytona International Speedway – and end it all under the lights with some Friday night racing.
Thirty-nine teams have brought cars to Daytona for 38 starting spots.
With no practice, the drivers will take to the track for a qualifying run around the 2.5 mile high banked tri-oval. The top 10 drivers will make a second round of qualifying to set the pole.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Caesar Bacarella who posted a time of 49.794 seconds.
The pole time set back in 2024 has already been broken with less than six cars making a run.
Andy Jankowiak is making his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut and is driving the 39 car normally driven by Ryan Sieg. Sieg is driving the 38 car for this race.
Dylan Welch announced that Daniel Dye will be driving full time in the Jordan Anderson number 32 car next year.
The last time the O’Reilly’s Series ran a race at Daytona, Brent Crews was not old enough to race; this time he is 18 and ready for his Daytona debut.
With the announcement of signing a contract extension, all four of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers will be back full time next season.
Lee Pullium will be driving the number 87 car full time next season.
With a time of 49.118 seconds, Rajah Caruth puts hiss number 88 car on the pole for his first career pole. Teammate Carson Kvapil will start alongside on the front row.
The starting lineup for the Winn-Dixie 250:
Rajah Caruth
Carson Kvapil
Jesse Love
Sheldon Creed
Sammy Smith
Sam Mayer
William Sawalich
Austin Hill
Anthony Alfredo
Taylor Gray
Harrison Burton
Ryan Sieg
Brandon Jones
Corey Day
Nick Sanchez
Dean Thompson
Brent Crews
Justin Allgaier
Josh Williams
Leland Honeyman
Caesar Bacarella
Ryan Ellis
Kyle Sieg
Parker Retzlaff
Daniel Dye
Natalie Decker
Garrett Smithley
Jeremy Clements
Jeb Burton
Patrick Staropoli
Lavar Scott
Joey Gase
Brennan Poole
Carson Ware
Mason Maggio
Blaine Perkins
Josh Bilicki
Andy Jankowiak
Dawson Cram failed to qualify for the race.
Stages one and two of the race are 30 laps each with stage three lasting 40 laps for a total of 100 laps around the 2.5 mile track.
There is a double yellow line at the apron of the track; that line is a no-go line. Any driver who drops below that line and advances their position; they will receive a penalty.
Three of the four Joe Gibbs Racing cars are separated by just one point at the cut line.
Polesitter Rajah Caruth is 15 points below the cut line to make the playoffs. Fellow JR Motorsports teams – who are already in the playoffs – said if they could, they would give Rajah a hand to try and make it into the playoffs.
Moving on to the Cup Series, this is the final end of the regular season race for RCR drivers Austin Hill and Jesse Love.
Rajah Caruth brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with teammate Carson Kvapil alongside. Getting a bit of a push from Sheldon Creed, Rajah Caruth takes the lead.
Lap two, Sheldon Creed moves up on the outside to battle with Rajah Caruth for the lead.
The top five drivers are Sheldon Creed, Rajah Caruth, Carson Kvapil, Sam Mayer, and Jesse Love.
Lap three, Rajah Caruth retakes the lead as the battle continues.
Caesar Bacarella makes an unscheduled trip down pit lane for a flat tire.
Lap four, Rajah Caruth leads the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Ausstin Hill, Carson Kvapil, and Sammy Smith round out the top five.
Caesar Bacarella was charged with a crew member coming over the wall too soon and will have to serve a passthrough penalty.
Lap five, Austin Hill takes the lead but Rajah Caruth moves up on the outside to battle for the lead.
Lap six, Sheldon Creed and Raja Caruth battle for the lead; Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, and Ausstin Hill round out the top five.
Drivers are three wide back in the field.
Lap nine, Sheldon Creed leads the race.
Jesse Love moves up on the inside to take the lead.
Lap 10, Jesse Love and Sam Mayer battle for the lead.
Lap eleven, Sam Mayer leads the race.
Lap 12, the top five are Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, and Taylor Gray.
There was a lot of movement in the early laps but halfway through the first stage, the drivers have settled down a bit.
Jesse Love has some debris on hiss grille.
Lap 16, Austin Hill leads the race with Sam Mayer in second; Sheldon Creed, Rajah Caruth, and Carson Kvapil round out the top five.
The water and oil temperature gages in Jesse Love’s car are heating up with the indicators blinking.
Nick Sanchez backs up to try and get the debris off of Jesse Love’s grille.
Lap 20, Carsson Kvapil takes the lead with Austin Hill in second; Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, and Sammy Smith round out the top five.
Lap 21, Austin Hill retakes the lead.
Jesse Love makes an unscheduled trip down pit road to remove the debris from his grille.
Just eight laps remain in stage one. Under a new NASCAR rule, if the caution flag comes out in the last 10 laps of a stage, the stage ends at that point and the points are awarded. The remaining laps are added to the next stage.
Just seven laps to go in stage one; Sam Mayer leads the race with Austin Hill in second; Carson Kvapil, Rajah Caruth, and Anthony Alfredo round out the top five.
Five to go, Carson Kvapil leads the race.
Three to go, Austin Hill and Carson Kvapil battle for the lead.
Caution comes out with three laps remaining in the stage for a wreck involving Patrick Staropoli, Sam Mayer, Daniel Dye, Natalie Decker, Josh Williams, and Brent Crews.
Austin Hill wins stage one for his eighth stage win at Daytona.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Austin Hill
Carson Kvapil
Rajah Caruth
Anthony Alfredo
Sammy Smith
Harrisson Burton
Justin Allgaier
Brandon Jones
William Sawalich
Taylor Gray
Brent Crews has taken his car to the garage.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Carson Kvapil and Corey Day in a battle to win the race off of pit road after taking only two tires. Carson Kvapil wins the race off of pit road.
Carson Kvapil brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Austin Hill alongside on lap 36.
Lap 37, Carson Kvapil leads the race with Austin Hill in second; Rajah Caruth, Corey Day, and William Sawalch round out the top five.
Lap 39, Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead with Austin Hill in second; Corey Day, William Sawalich, and Taylor Gray round out the top five.
Lap 40, most of the field is single file at the top of the track.
Lap 43, the drivers have gotten spread out two and three wide through the field with Austin Hill leading the race.
Lap 44, the top five are Austin Hill, Rajah Caruth, Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith, and Corey Day.
The caution flag comes out on lap 45 for a crash involving William Sawalich, Sammy Smith – whose car is on fire after hitting the wall -, Corey Day, Jeremy Clements, and Anthony Alfredo.
Parker Retzlaff has earned enough stage points to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Sammy Smith is out of the care center and reports that he is fine; adding it was an unfortunate incident because he had a fast car.
Austin Hill brings the field down for the green flag restart with just eight laps remaining in stage two. Rajah Caruth takes the lead.
The top five are Rajah Caruth, Anthony Alfredo, Austin Hill, Carson Kvapil, and Justin Allgaier.
Drivers are three wide in a battle for position.
Six to go in stage two, Rajah Caruth holds on to the lead with Austin Hill on his bumper.
Austin Hill spins out to bring out the caution flag and end stage two. Hill spun a good bit down the track; spinning seven times.
Rajah Caruth wins stage two for his third stage win of the season.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Rajah Caruth
Carson Kvapil
Anthony Alfredo
Sheldon Creed
Justin Allgaier
Jeb Burton
Jesse Love
Sam Mayer
Nick Sanchez
Brandon Jones
Drivers come down pit road for service with Brandon Jones winning the race off of pit road after taking only two tires.
Brent Crews returns to the track 31 laps down.
With 38 laps remaining in the race, Brandon Jones brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three with Harrison Burton alongside. Drivers get three wide with Brandon Jones leading the race.
The top five are Brandon Joness, Blaine Perkins, Ryan Sieg, Carson Kvapil, and Kyle Sieg.
The Sieg brothers are leading the inside lane with Brandon Jones leading the race and the outside lane.
With 35 laps remaining in the race, Brandon Jones leads the race with Carson Kvapil in second; Blaine Perkins, Ryan Sieg, and Rajah Caruth rounding out the top five.
With 34 laps to go Carson Kvapil takes the lead.
Thirty to go, Carsson Kvapil leads the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, and Rajah Caruth round out the top five.
With just 27 laps remaining in the race, Carson Kvapil leads the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Rajah Caruth, Justin Allgaier, and Leland Honeyman round out the top five.
William Sawalich is out of the care center and fine.
With 22 laps to go, Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead with Sheldon Creed in second; Rajah Caruth, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Hill round out the top five.
Rajah Caruth and Sheldon Creed battle for second.
Twenty to go! Driver are spreading out across the track in a battle for position.
With 18 laps to go, the drivers have gotten mostly single file with Carsson Kvapil in the lead.
Just 14 laps remain in the race with Carson Kvapil leading the race and teammate Rajah Caruth in second; Justin Allgaier, Leland Honeyman, and Ryan Sieg round out the top five.
Ten to go! Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead with Rajah Caruth in second; Justin Allgaier, Leland Honeyman, and Ryan Sieg. Carson Kvapil hass led 37 laps to far.
JRM owner Dale Earnhardt Jr is at the track and looks very calm as he watches three of his four drivers in the top three positions on the track.
Seven to go, drivers are beginning to move out of line in a move to take the lead.
No one in the O’Reilly Series has won three races consecutively…Carsson Kvapil has won two in a row.
Five to go, Carson Kvapil holds on to the lead with teammates Rajah Caruth and Justin Allgiaer right behind.
Three to go, Carson Kvapil leads the race.
In an attempt to make a move for the lead, Rajah Caruth spins out to bring out the caution flag and an overtime finish.
Carson Kvapil brings the field down for the overtime shootout to end the race with Justin Allgaier alongside. Kvapil gets out in front for the lead with Ryan Sieg battling on the bottom.
Ryan Sieg takes the lead as the white flag comes out.
Ryan Sieg wins the race for his first career victory! This was Sieg’s 424th race.
Drivers were wrecking as the checkered flag flew. Josh Bilicki got into the wall.
The unofficial results of the Winn Dixie 250:
Ryan Sieg
Austin Hill
Carson Kvapil
Anthony Alfredo
Brandon Jones
Justin Allgaier
Brennan Poole
Harrison Burton
Jeb burton
Sheldon Creed
Josh Williams
Garrett Smithley
Leland Honeyman
Parker Retzlaff
Blaine Perkins
Nick Sanchez
Ryan Elliss
Lavar Scott
Masson Maggio
Jesse Love
Kyle Sieg
Natalie Decker
Joey Gase
Carson Ware
Sam Mayer
Taylor Gray
Dean Thompson
Josh Bilicki
Corey Day
Andy Jankowiak
Caesar Bacarella
Rajah Caruth
Jeremy Clements
Patrick Staropoli
Brent Crews
Sammy Smith
William Sawalich
Daniel Dye
The playoffs are set with:
Justin Allgaier
Carson Kvapil
Sheldon Creed
Jesse Love
Austin Hill
Brandon Jones
Corey Day
Sammy Smith
Parker Retzlaff
Sam Mayer
Taylor Gray
Rajah Caruth