Fresh From Florida 250

The Fresh From Florida 250 is the first race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season at Daytona International Speedway and as of 2004 has been held under the lights. It is the Truck Series event of Speedweeks – the series of races leading up to the Daytona 500.

Fresh From Florida 250
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
VenueDaytona International Speedway
LocationDaytona Beach, Florida, United States
Corporate sponsorFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services[1]
First race2000
Distance250 miles (400 km)
Laps100
Stages 1/2: 20 each
Final stage: 60
Previous namesDaytona 250 (2000)
Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (2001–2005)
GM Flex Fuel 250 (2006)
Chevy Silverado HD 250 (2007–2008)
NextEra Energy Resources 250 (2009–2018)
NextEra Energy 250 (2019–2023)
Most wins (driver)Johnny Sauter (3)
Most wins (team)GMS Racing, Bobby Hamilton Racing & ThorSport Racing (3)
Most wins (manufacturer)Toyota (10)
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Turns4

Winners of the event include Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, Robert Pressley, Rick Crawford, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, Mark Martin, Jack Sprague, Todd Bodine (twice), Timothy Peters, Michael Waltrip, John King, Johnny Sauter (three times), Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Kaz Grala, Austin Hill, and Zane Smith (twice).

The Truck Series does not run restrictor plates, devices used by the Xfinity and Cup stock cars to reduce horsepower and slow the cars down at Daytona and Talladega. However, a restrictor in the space, a "spacer plate", and aerodynamic disadvantages in the trucks compensate for the lack of a restrictor plate.

Zane Smith was the 2022 and 2023 winner of the event.

History

The inaugural running of the race in 2000 featured one of the most horrific wrecks in NASCAR history. Just past the halfway point of the race, Kurt Busch's truck made contact with that of Rob Morgan, turning him into Geoff Bodine's truck, sending Bodine careening airborne into the wall and catch fence just past the start-finish line. Bodine's truck burst into flames and flipped at least 10 times before coming to a stop toward Turn 1, causing a major wreck involving 13 trucks. Despite having serious injuries, Bodine survived and raced again later that year in May at Richmond. Although this race was largely overshadowed by this wreck, it was truly exciting as Mike Wallace made the last lap pass on Andy Houston for the inaugural victory.[2]

In 2001, Joe Ruttman was the first driver to win the race from the pole position. He also won the pole the year before. Rookie Ricky Hendrick finished in second.[3]

Robert Pressley won the race in 2002 in his first Truck Series start. [4]

The 2003 race featured a three-wide finish on the final lap between Rick Crawford, defending Daytona winner Robert Pressley, and that year's eventual champion Travis Kvapil where the margin of victory was 0.027 seconds.[5]

In early 2004, it was announced that the race would move from Friday afternoon to Friday night and be run under the lights. Carl Edwards would go on to win the race and Travis Kvapil (in a Toyota) finished second. The race was Toyota's first truck race.[6]

Kerry Earnhardt started from the pole in the 2005 race, but finished in 35th due to an accident. Bobby Hamilton won from the 36th starting position, the farthest starting position for a driver to win.[7]

In 2007, another three-wide finish between Travis Kvapil, Johnny Benson, and Jack Sprague who won the race; the margin of victory was 0.031 seconds (second-closest finish). Sprague was the third driver to win from the pole.[8]

NextEra Energy Resources was the title sponsor of the race from 2009 to 2023

The 2009 race was the first under the new series title sponsorship of Camping World and for race title sponsor NextEra Energy Resources. Todd Bodine won becoming the first driver to win back-to-back season opening truck races at the Daytona International Speedway;[9] Kyle Busch finished second in both races. Also, Todd Bodine won the 2009 race without a sponsor.[9] Six days after the race, fifth-place finisher Ron Hornaday Jr. was docked 25 points and owner DeLana Harvick was docked 25 owner points as a penalty for illegal shocks used in the race. Crew chief Rick Ren was placed on probation and fined $5,000 because of the violations.[10]

The 2011 running was held on the tenth anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500. Michael Waltrip, who won that infamous 500, pulled off a slingshot last lap pass on Elliott Sadler to win his first career Truck race in a No. 15 truck, the same number on his Cup car in the 2001 500, with his brother Darrell in the broadcast booth. The victory made Waltrip the 22nd driver to win in all of NASCAR's top three divisions. Although his truck failed post-race inspection because the right side of the spoiler had snapped, resulting in a penalty for his team, he kept the win as he was not running for Truck points.[11][12]

A pack of trucks drafting together in the 2018 race

18-year-old Kaz Grala scored his maiden Truck Series victory in the 2017 event, becoming the youngest race winner in Daytona history. Matt Crafton had been leading the race on the final lap before he turned by a spinning Ben Rhodes and sent into a flip.[13]

Angela Ruch (No. 8), Matt Crafton (No. 88) and Gus Dean (No. 12) in the 2019 race

In the 2019 race, only nine drivers finished the race, with many being involved in wrecks. Austin Hill survived the carnage to win his first career Truck race.[14]

Grant Enfinger (No. 98) beating Jordan Anderson (No. 3), Codie Rohrbaugh (No. 9) and Derek Kraus (No. 19) to the finish in the 2020 race

The 2020 edition saw Grant Enfinger win for the first time since Las Vegas in September 2018. Enfinger won in a three-wide photo finish in which he beat Jordan Anderson by 0.010 of a second with Codie Rohrbaugh in tow; the margin of victory made it the closest finish in the event's history.[15] Natalie Decker broke Jennifer Jo Cobb's record as the highest finishing woman in a Truck Series event by finishing fifth; Cobb's best finish was sixth in the 2011 event.[16] On lap 16, rookie Ty Majeski flipped onto his roof, sliding on it for several hundred feet on the banking before landing on its roof on the apron.[17]

Ben Rhodes (No. 99) coming to the finish of the 2021 race ahead of Jordan Anderson (No. 3, who finished 2nd in this race for the second year in a row) and Cory Roper (No. 04)

On August 16, 2020, the Truck Series ran a second race on the Daytona road course; the event replaced the June 12 Iowa Speedway race, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] Known as the Sunoco 159, it was held as part of a doubleheader with the Cup Series' Go Bowling 235.[19]

The 2023 event marked the first time that the event failed to go the 250-mile/100-lap distance. On and off again showers plagued the event on five different occasions with three red flags. After an hour-long rain delay with 74 laps completed, drivers got back to their trucks only for it to start raining again, causing them to come back down to pit road. With 79 laps completed, NASCAR called the race over with Zane Smith becoming just the second driver to win the event back-to-back (Todd Bodine was the first in 2008-2009). Of the 79 laps, only 38 were under green.

In 2024, Fresh From Florida (an initiative/campaign of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) became the title sponsor of the race, replacing NextEra Energy Resources, which had been the title sponsor of the race since 2009. This ended NextEra's long 15 year run as the title sponsor of the race.[1]

Past winners
Year Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Race distance Race time Average speed
(mph)		 Ref
Laps Miles (km)
2000 February 18 2 Mike Wallace Ultra Motorsports Ford 100 250 (402.336) 1:55:00 130.152 [20]
2001 February 16 18 Joe Ruttman Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge 104* 260 (418.429) 2:00:33 129.407 [21]
2002 February 15 18 Robert Pressley Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge 100 250 (402.336) 1:47:03 140.121 [22]
2003 February 14 14 Rick Crawford Circle Bar Racing Ford 106* 265 (426.476) 2:04:34 127.642 [23]
2004 February 13 99 Carl Edwards Roush Racing Ford 100 250 (402.336) 2:13:15 112.57 [24]
2005 February 18 04 Bobby Hamilton Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge 100 250 (402.336) 2:00:04 124.931 [25]
2006 February 17 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 102* 255 (410.382) 1:44:21* 146.622* [26]
2007 February 16 60 Jack Sprague Wyler Racing Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 2:07:24 117.739 [27]
2008 February 15 30 Todd Bodine Germain Racing Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 1:57:36 127.551 [28]
2009 February 13 30 Todd Bodine Germain Racing Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 2:02:11 122.766 [29]
2010 February 13* 17 Timothy Peters Red Horse Racing Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 2:10:06 115.295 [30]
2011 February 18 15 Michael Waltrip Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota 103* 257.5 (414.406) 1:58:33 130.025 [31]
2012 February 24 7 John King Red Horse Racing Toyota 109* 272.5 (438.546) 2:17:13 119.169 [32]
2013 February 22 98 Johnny Sauter ThorSport Racing Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 1:45:56 141.598 [33]
2014 February 21 51 Kyle Busch Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 1:45:10 142.631 [34]
2015 February 20 19 Tyler Reddick Brad Keselowski Racing Ford 100 250 (402.336) 1:56:45 128.48 [35]
2016 February 19 21 Johnny Sauter GMS Racing Chevrolet 100 250 (402.336) 1:56:15 129.032 [36]
2017 February 24 33 Kaz Grala GMS Racing Chevrolet 100 250 (402.336) 1:55:38 129.72 [37]
2018 February 16 21 Johnny Sauter GMS Racing Chevrolet 100 250 (402.336) 2:04:36 120.385 [38]
2019 February 15 16 Austin Hill Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota 111* 277.5 (446.593) 2:39:20 104.498 [39]
2020 February 14 98 Grant Enfinger ThorSport Racing Ford 106* 265 (426.476) 2:04:53 127.319 [40]
2021 February 12 99 Ben Rhodes ThorSport Racing Toyota 101* 252.5 (406.359) 2:20:33 107.791 [41]
2022 February 18 38 Zane Smith Front Row Motorsports Ford 106* 265 (426.476) 2:03:07 129.146 [42]
2023 February 17 38 Zane Smith Front Row Motorsports Ford 79* 197.5 (317.845) 2:09:23 115.935 [43]
2024 February 16
  • 2006 was the race time and average speed record, even with overtime.
  • 2001, 2003, 2006, 2011–12, 2019–22: The race was extended due to a NASCAR Overtime finish. The 2012 event took three attempts, and the 2019 running took two attempts at overtime.
  • 2010: Race postponed from Friday to Saturday due to rain.
  • 2023: Race shortened due to rain.

Multiple winners (drivers)
# of wins Driver Years won
3 Johnny Sauter 2013, 2016, 2018
2 Todd Bodine 2008, 2009
Zane Smith 2022, 2023

Multiple winners (teams)
# of wins Team Years won
3 GMS Racing 2016-2018
Bobby Hamilton Racing 2001, 2002, 2005
ThorSport Racing 2013, 2020, 2021
2 Roush Racing 2004, 2006
Germain Racing 2008, 2009
Red Horse Racing 2010, 2012
Front Row Motorsports 2022, 2023

Manufacturer wins
# of wins Make Years won
10 Japan Toyota 2007-2014, 2019, 2021
8 United States Ford 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023
3 United States Chevrolet 2016-2018
United States Dodge 2001, 2002, 2005

References
  1. "Fresh From Florida named entitlement partner for Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 20, 2023.
  2. "Wallace wins Daytona's first truck race". ESPN. February 18, 2000. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  3. "2001 Official Race Results : Florida Dodge Dealers 250". NASCAR. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  4. "Comprehensive log of Truck Series results". Racing-reference.info. 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  5. "Crawford uses last-lap pass to snap 120-race winless skid". Sports Illustrated. February 14, 2003. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  6. Long, Mark (February 13, 2004). "Edwards flips over Daytona truck win". USA Today. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  7. Graves, Gary (February 18, 2005). "Hamilton wins wild truck race at Daytona". USA Today. Daytona Beach, Florida. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  8. "Sprague Wins at Daytona, Has Sights Set on Fourth Championship". Kansas Speedway. February 18, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  9. Adelson, Andrea (February 14, 2009). "Bodine wins truck race at Daytona". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  10. "Hornaday docked 25 points for illegal shocks at DIS". NASCAR. February 19, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  11. "Michael Waltrip wins Trucks race". ESPN. February 19, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  12. Pockrass, Bob (February 23, 2011). "Michael Waltrip crew chief fined $25,000 for spoiler violation in Daytona truck race". SceneDaily. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  13. Pockrass, Bob (February 24, 2017). "NASCAR truck race marred by two crashes; no injuries reported". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  14. Spencer, Reid (February 15, 2019). "NASCAR Daytona Truck results: Austin Hill wins wild season opener in overtime". Autoweek. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  15. Engle, Greg (February 15, 2020). "Grant Enfinger Survives to Win Crash-Filled Truck Race at Daytona". Autoweek. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  16. Seelman, Jacob (February 14, 2020). "Decker Earns Her Place In Truck Series History". Speed Sport. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  17. Taranto, Steven (February 14, 2020). "Multi-truck accident sends Ty Majeski sliding on his roof". 247Sports. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  18. "First time in history: NASCAR's three top-tier series, ARCA to compete on Daytona International Speedway's iconic road course, August 14-16, 2020". Daytona International Speedway. July 8, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  19. Brieskorn, Katlyn (August 14, 2020). "NASCAR fans allowed to return to Daytona International Speedway for doubleheader this weekend". WFTV. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  20. "2000 Daytona 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  21. "2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  22. "2002 Florida Dodge Dealers 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  23. "2003 Florida Dodge Dealers 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  24. "2004 Florida Dodge Dealers 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  25. "2005 Florida Dodge Dealers 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  26. "2006 GM Flex Fuel 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  27. "2007 Chevy Silverado HD 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  28. "2008 Chevy Silverado 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  29. "2009 Nextera Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  30. "2010 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  31. "2011 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  32. "2012 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  33. "2013 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  34. "2014 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  35. "2015 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  36. "2016 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  37. "2017 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  38. "2018 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  39. "2019 NextEra Energy 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  40. "2020 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  41. "2021 NextEra Energy Resources 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  42. "2022 NextEra Energy 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  43. "2023 NextEra Energy 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
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