Xfinity Series teams return to action Friday night at Daytona International Speedway as the battle for playoff spots continues.
This race is the 65th at the 2.5-mile track for NASCAR's second-tier series, dating back to Dale Earnhardt's win in 1982.
Daytona is one of five races remaining before the start of the playoffs, and it is possibly the biggest wild card remaining for Xfinity Series drivers and teams due to the unexpected crashes and surprise winners.
Daytona race information
Weather: The WeatherUnderground forecast calls for rain showers early in the day and mostly cloudy skies into the night. A high of 82 degrees and a 14% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity Series race.
Starting lineup: Lightning canceled the second round of qualifying. NASCAR set the starting order based on the first round of qualifying.
Pre-race: Driver introductions will take place at 6:55 p.m. ET. Pre-race coverage begins with "Countdown to Green" on USA Network at 7 p.m. ET. Race coverage continues on USA Network at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Stages: The race will consist of three stages. The first stage ends at Lap 30. The second stage ends at Lap 60. The scheduled end of the race is Lap 100.
Past winners: Only three drivers in the lineup have Xfinity Series wins at Daytona International Speedway. Richard Childress Racing's Austin Hill has won the last three February races at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Jeremy Clements of Jeremy Clements Racing won the 2022 summer race to lock up a playoff spot.
Justin Allgaier is the defending winner of the summer Daytona race. He led 14 laps last season and held off Sheldon Creed, Daniel Hemric, and Justin Allgaier.
Playoff picture: Eight drivers have locked up spots in the playoffs. Allgaier, Hill, Sam Mayer, and Chandler Smith all have two wins. Riley Herbst, Jesse Love, and Cole Custer each have one win. Shane van Gisbergen leads the series with three wins.
AJ Allmendinger is winless this season but he is 102 points above the cutline. Creed is 70 points above the cutline. Parker Kligerman is 16 points above the cutline after his team lost 20 points as part of an L1-level penalty. Sammy Smith is one point above the cutline and Ryan Sieg, who is the first driver outside of a playoff spot.