HFT Weekend Preview: Daytona International Speedway.
By Haas Factory Team
Friday O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Action:
Date: Friday, August 28th at 7:30 p.m. ET
Track: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
Race Distance: 100 laps / 250 miles
Broadcast: CW | MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday Cup Series Action:
Date: Saturday, August 29th at 7:30 p.m. ET
Track: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
Race Distance: 160 laps / 400 miles
Broadcast: NBC | MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
On-Track Activity:
Friday:
3 p.m. ET – O’Reilly Qualifying
CW App | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
5 p.m. ET – Cup Qualifying
TruTV | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
7:30 p.m. ET – O’Reilly Race
CW | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday:
7:30 p.m. ET – Cup Race
NBC | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Race Weekend Quick Hits:
- NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for its annual summer event and the final Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race of the regular season before the Chase.
- Sheldon Creed (782 points) has already clinched a spot in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase and sits third in the points standings, trailing only Carson Kvapil (810) and Justin Allgaier (1,048).
- Creed has posted top-10 finishes in each of his last two starts and ranks second in the NOAPS in average finish (10.6), top-five finishes (8) and top-10s (15) this season.
- Sam Mayer enters the weekend 10th in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standings, holding a 19-point cushion above the Chase cutline.
- Mayer has led laps in two of his last three starts and showed speed at Daytona earlier this season, starting third before an incident on lap 91 ended his race.
- Cole Custer finished fourth in last season’s summer Cup Series race at Daytona, battling for the lead down the backstretch on the final lap before securing his fourth career top-five finish.
Cup Driver Lineup:
No. 41 Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, CA
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: Standard Nuclear
Cup Series Points Standings: 32nd
Custer’s Daytona Cup Series History:
Starts: 9
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —
Key Numbers:
Custer makes his 10th Cup Series start at Daytona this weekend, where he finished fourth after leading seven laps in last summer's race. He began the 2026 season with a 24th-place finish in the Daytona 500.
His best Cup Series starting position at Daytona is 12th, earned in the 2020 season opener, and he owns a 23.1 average starting position at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Custer has recorded two top-10 finishes in 10 Daytona starts. He also made one Craftsman Truck Series start at the track in 2016.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Driver Lineup:
No. 00 Driver: Sheldon Creed
Hometown: Alpine, CA
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Ollie’s
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Points Standings: 3rd, *Clinched Spot in Chase
Creed’s Daytona O’Reilly Auto Parts Series History:
Starts: 10
Wins: —
Top-10s: 5
Poles: —
Key Numbers:
Creed is set to make his 11th O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Daytona on Friday, where he has a pair of runner-up results and has led 38 total laps. Creed has finished inside the top 10 in four of his last six starts.
He has started inside the top 10 in eight starts and carries an 8.5 average starting position into the weekend, including a fifth-place starting spot earlier this season.
Creed also has recorded two top-10 results in three career Craftsman Truck Series starts.
No. 41 Driver: Sam Mayer
Hometown: Franklin, WI
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: Starkey / CW / NXT Heatwave
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Points Standings: 10th, +19 points to Chase cutline
Mayer’s Daytona O’Reilly Auto Parts Series History:
Starts: 10
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —
Key Numbers:
Mayer is set to make his 11th career start at Daytona, a track that he finished inside the top five in both races last year. He was the runner-up in the opening race last year and finished fifth in the summer despite starting on the front row.
Earlier this season, he was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 91, ending his night in 31st despite starting third and leading six laps.
HFT New Hampshire Recap:
Cole Custer used a strong start on wet-weather tires to gain valuable track position at New Hampshire early and capped it off with a respectable 22nd-place finish.