DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three more NASCAR Xfinity Series races remain to settle which 12 drivers will advance to this year’s Playoffs and Friday night’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola has traditionally proven to be anyone’s game.
To that point, current championship leader and season’s winningest driver (six victories) Connor Zilisch is still expected to qualify and start the race. How many laps he does afterward depends on his recovery after breaking his collarbone in a frightening fall off his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet celebrating his victory in the series’ last race at Watkins Glen, N.Y. two weeks ago.
Zilisch, his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier and Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer are separated by only 34 points in the competition for the regular season title. Zilisch and Allgaier by only nine points out front.
Part-time Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ryan Truex is the defending Daytona race winner, however, he is not entered this weekend.
A strong group of notable championship contenders join him in celebrating most recently at the big track – from Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, who won here in February to his teammate Austin Hill, who had won the three previous season-openers and is the series’ all-time drafting track champion (eight wins). Reigning series champ Allgaier won the Fall Daytona race in 2023.
Considering the circumstances – and the history track in general – a new winner at Daytona would not surprise. Last year’s Daytona NASCAR Cup Series summer race winner, Harrison Burton, is certainly eyeing a return to Victory Lane. That victory proved as much to himself as others that he can win when much on the line.
Going into the weekend, eight drivers have secured Playoff positions via a win. JR Motorsports’ Carson Kvapil (-112), Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed (-77), Joe Gibbs Racing’s Taylor Gray (-76) and Burton (-30) claim the points positions beyond the winners list. And Creed, Kvapil and Gray finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, at Daytona in February.
Just below the cutoff line is Harrison Burton’s cousin Jeb Burton, who has a pair of wins on the sport’s other big track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Owner-driver Ryan Sieg is only 38 points out of a transfer position and raced to a fifth-place finish in this race last year.
Of note, Chevrolet has won 14 of the last 16 races at Daytona and already this year has won 20 of the 23 races on the schedule – a record for the series.
Former Daytona NASCAR Cup Series race winners, Justin Haley (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy) and Aric Almirola (No. 19 JGR Toyota) will be competing Friday night as well.
