TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile superspeedway)
NOAPS RACE – Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (100 laps / 250 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90, ESPN Mobile App at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
- Carson Kvapil returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for his fourth career start at the 2.5-mile track in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
- In three previous starts at Daytona, Kvapil has an average finishing position of seventh.
- On tracks greater than 2 miles, the JR Motorsports driver has 13 starts, recording one win, three top-fives and eight top-10’s.
- After back-to-back wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway, Kvapil sits second in the series point standings heading into the final race before The Chase.
- The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet will carry the name of cancer hero Stephanie Kearns on the name rails as part of The NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program.
- Justin Allgaier heads into the final race of the NOAPS regular season having already secured the top seed in The Chase.
- Allgaier is a past winner at “The World Center of Racing” in the NOAPS, having gone to Victory Lane in this event in 2023 in a dramatic photo finish.
- Overall, in 31 NOAPS starts at Daytona, Allgaier has amassed a combined 10 top-fives and 16 top-10s to accompany the 2023 victory.
- Allgaier is the most recent winner on a drafting track in the NOAPS, capturing the checkered flag at Atlanta last month.
- This weekend, the No. 7 Carolina Carports Chevrolet will carry the names of cancer heroes Stephanie Kearns and Leslie Jo Mummert by virtue of the NASCAR Foundation on the driver and passenger side name rails.
- Sammy Smith heads to Daytona this Friday evening in hopes of finishing one position better than he did in the fall of 2025, where he came home in the second position at the hallowed superspeedway.
- The No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet is going to have a special look this weekend, paying tribute to the late Michael Annett. The Pilot scheme Smith will run at Iowa is based on Annett’s first livery with JRM in 2017.
- Smith has eight starts at Daytona with two top-five and two top-10 finishes.
- On tracks at least 2-miles in length, Smith has 26 starts with one win, five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
- According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Smith is ranked first for most quality passes thus far in 2026, with 1,129.
- Through The NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program, Stephanie Kearns’ name will be in place of Smith’s on the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet.
- Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HendrickCars.com team head to Daytona this weekend for the final race before The Chase begins.
- Caruth enters Daytona 15 points below the cut line in the driver standings as he looks to secure his place in The Chase
- Caruth has been strong on drafting tracks throughout the 2026 season, earning three top-10 finishes in four starts while leading 46 laps across those events.
- The No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet will carry the names of cancer heroes Michele Broadley and Stephanie Kearns on the roof as part of The NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program.
Carson Kvapil: “Daytona is always an unpredictable race, but I am confident Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and this entire No. 1 Bass Pro Shops team will unload another fast car this weekend. Our team has a bunch of momentum right now and we hope to continue to build off that as we head into The Chase. We just need to race smart in the pack and keep ourselves in position to bring home a third consecutive win.”
Justin Allgaier: “Daytona is such a special place to race at. Anything can happen here and we just need to be on our toes throughout the night to make sure we can be in a position to fight for the win with our Carolina Carports Chevrolet. If we can execute like we have throughout the year on the speedways and work well with our JR Motorsports teammates, I see no reason why we all won’t be up front at the end. It was a nice two-week break but we are ready to get back to the track and lock in before The Chase gets underway next week.”
Sammy Smith: “It’s been a great couple of off weeks, being able to enjoy time with family and friends and reset a bit before tackling the final part of the season and into The Chase. This No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet has run well at Daytona the last couple of times. We’ve led laps and brought home a top-five finish the last two times so I feel confident that we can continue that and compete for a win under the lights.”
Rajah Caruth:“I’ve always felt like drafting tracks suit my driving style, and we’ve shown that this year with how competitive we’ve been at those places. Daytona is all about putting yourself in the right position and making good decisions when it matters. Obviously, we know where we are in the points and what’s at stake, but our approach doesn’t really change. We’re going there to race up front, execute all night and give ourselves a chance at the end. I’m confident in Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and everyone on this No. 88 HendrickCars.com team, and I’m excited to see what we can do.”
JRM Team Updates
- JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Daytona International Speedway a combined 128 times in NOAPS since 2006. In those starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, the organization has recorded nine wins, 35 top-fives, and 55 top-10s. The average finish is 15.5.
- Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Friday, August 28th, from 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. ET.