Weather forces NASCAR into ‘last year’s owner points’ measure ahead of Xfinity race at Daytona

NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR national series, will be lined up according to last year's owner points. This decision came about due to the horrid racing conditions at the United Rentals 300.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have had a major effect on the NASCAR Xfinity Series events at Daytona International Speedway, especially disrupting the qualifying session for the United Rentals 300. The qualifying, which was supposed to take place on Saturday morning, was called off after multiple delays caused by the wet conditions on the track. Consequently, NASCAR opted to establish the starting lineup based on last year's owner points, which resulted in some drivers, such as JJ Yeley, Carson Ware, and CJ McLaughlin, being excluded from the race.

Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports, taking advantage of his team's strong performance in 2024, will start from the pole position. Joining him on the front row is Taylor Gray. While Allgaier and Gray benefit from their advantageous starting spots, other drivers are left to deal with the disappointment of being unable to compete.

The points transfer from the past season have been indicated in blue in the table posted by Bob Pockrass (a veteran motorsports journalist).

The post on X was captioned:

"Xfinity lineup primarily will be by last year’s owner points. Here they are with point transfers in blue …"

Persistent rain at Daytona International Speedway forced NASCAR officials to make a tough call regarding the Xfinity Series' United Rentals 300 qualifying.

With the track drenched and time running short, qualifying was canceled after just one round, resulting in the starting lineup being based on last year's owner points. This decision, while allowing the race to go ahead, left several drivers, including experienced veterans and up-and-coming talents, in a tricky situation due to their teams' standings from the previous season.

---

NASCAR Xfinity Series 2025: Prize money for United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway

The race, scheduled for Saturday, February 15, offered a significant prize pool of $3,762,952, and will feature 39 Xfinity Series entries eager to kick off their season with a win. Fans can catch the action live on CW, with radio coverage available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio, starting at 5 pm ET.

Bob Pockrass revealed the prize money on X with the caption:

“Purses for Daytona weekend (Daytona 500 purse would include duels) and includes all payouts, all positions, plus charter payouts in Cup for competing and past two years points finish: Cup: $30,331,250 Xfinity: $3,762,952 Truck: $1,262,900” Pockrass wrote.

The United Rentals 300 not only marks the start of the new season after a three-month off-season, but also provides a valuable opportunity for drivers to secure an early victory at the iconic 2.5-mile Daytona Superspeedway.

As the Xfinity Series drivers take to the track, they'll be aiming to add their names to the prestigious list of past winners, continuing the legacy of thrilling racing at Daytona International Speedway.