Pit Stops : Daytona International Speedway

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  • Saturday, February 15th, 2025
  • NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain
Jesse Love wins Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona

In a typically wild finish at Daytona International Speedway, Jesse Love won the United Rentals 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opener in overtime – taking the white flag moments before a massive multi-car accident behind him brought out a caution officially ending the race.

An out-of-breath Love emerged from his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet’s roof hatch on the Daytona International Speedway infield grass to the cheers of his team celebrating the 20-year old Californian’s second career win.

“So many people have helped me get to this point,” said Love, who led three times for 30 laps on the evening.

“Not sure what happened to the 21 (his teammate Austin Hill) tonight, but he was really dominant tonight,” Love continued. “We’re working on changing our culture here at RCR. We’re winners, we know we are and we really want to win a championship for Richard Childress. I’m ready to go to [the next race at] Atlanta now.”

Love put his Chevrolet out front on the final three re-starts, exchanging the point briefly with Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed before taking the position for good with 18 laps remaining and ultimately holding off the Haas drivers Sam Mayer and Creed. Rookies Carson Kvapil and Taylor Gray were just behind rounding out the top-five.

As Love indicated, for most of the early race, it looked as if his teammate, three-time defending race winner Hill was going to turn in an incredible fourth straight win in the season-opener. He won both Stage 1 and 2 and led 56 of the opening 82 laps – the most laps out front on the night. Together Love and Hill led all but 40 of the race’s 126 laps

Hill’s No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, however, had engine issues shortly after the second stage break – Hill reporting smoke inside his cockpit and other drivers saying his car was leaking fluid out the back.

Although Hill stayed out front, he pit with a handful of other Chevrolets on Lap 80 and when the RCR team checked under the hood, it was apparent the issue was terminal.

The team declared the car done, reiterating to their driver it wasn’t “for lack of effort” on the night.

“Such a bummer, we had such a fast Chevrolet,” Hill said after parking his car in the garage. “Everybody at RCR and ECR did a great job building this race car. We showed we were the dominant team again getting the stage wins there. I just wish that we could have lost this race on our terms, not from a mechanical failure.

“I’d almost rather get turned on the backstretch on the white flag lap and end up on my lid than have it end like this. This one is going to sting a little bit, but we have Atlanta next week and I feel like we’re going to be good all year long in 2025. I feel really good about this team.”

The two rookies who finished inside the top-five were indicative of a strong showing for the large first-year class. Several were eliminated while running inside the top-10 on track – from Daniel Dye in the race’s opening accident to highly-touted series newcomers Connor Zilisch, William Sawalich and Christian Eckes who were all collected in an accident with three laps remaining in regulation – all running in the top-10 at the time.

Last summer’s NASCAR Cup Series Daytona race winner Harrison Burton finished sixth in his return to fulltime NASCAR Xfinity Series racing. Jordan Anderson, Dean Thompson, Jeremy Clements and Patrick Emerling rounded out the top-10 in a race that saw 11 different leaders and 24 lead change on the 2.5-mile Daytona high banks.

Clements set the Xfinity Fastest Lap of the race earning a bonus point. Creed takes a nine-point lead over Love atop the early championship standings.

  • Drivers Entered: 41 (3 drivers will not make the race)
  • Laps Scheduled: 120
  • Laps Actual: 126 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
  • Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds
  • Time of Race: 2 Hours 33 Minutes 17 Seconds
  • Average Speed: 123.301
  • Cautions: 8 for 39 laps
  • Lead Changes: 24
  • Green Flag Passes: 4,378 (50.3 passes per green flag lap)

  • Daytona International Speedway
  • United Rentals 300
  • Race Winner: Jesse Love
  • Age: 20
  • Team : No 2 - Whelen Chevrolet
  • Owner: Richard Childress
  • Crew Chief: Danny Stockman, Jr
  • Jesse Love won the United Rentals 300, his second victory in 34 Xfinity Series races
  • This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2025
  • This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in three races at Daytona International Speedway Love is the 39th different Xfinity driver to win at Daytona
  • Sam Mayer (second) posted his first top-10 finish in eight races at Daytona International Speedway It is his first top-10 finish in 2025
  • Sheldon Creed (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Daytona International Speedway
  • Carson Kvapil (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie
  • Sheldon Creed leads the point standings by 9 points over Jesse Love
  • This is the 98th Xfinity Series win for Richard Childress Racing and 10th at Daytona
Xfinity Series pit stops at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nevada - September 25, 2020 : Xfinity Series pit stops at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Brian LawdermilkGetty Images

Pit Stop Summary Report

Summary of each driver's pit stop during the race. Detailed Report is below the Summary Report.

Average Driver and Crew Pit Stop Time
United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway Pit Stop Summary
DRIVER ST FIN STATUS PIT STOPS AVG DRVR TIME DRVR RANK AVG CREW TIME CREW RANK AVG TTL TIME TTL RANK FST STOP SLW STOP
Austin Hill 4 33 Rear End 2 22.931 6 7.280 1 30.211 1 29.746 30.675
Harrison Burton 32 6 Running 1 23.833 18 9.300 2 33.133 2 33.133 33.133
Sheldon Creed 6 3 Running 2 22.859 3 11.890 5 34.749 3 31.070 38.428
Taylor Gray 2 5 Running 2 23.957 19 11.560 3 35.517 4 32.154 38.879
Justin Allgaier 1 18 Running 3 23.556 14 12.040 6 35.596 5 32.184 40.464
William Sawalich 5 28 Accident 2 23.635 15 13.000 7 36.635 6 33.602 39.668
Justin Bonsignore 15 25 Running 1 25.093 27 11.560 3 36.653 7 36.653 36.653
Ryan Truex 33 17 Running 2 23.654 16 14.410 8 38.064 8 32.641 43.487
Nicholas Sanchez 11 35 Accident 1 22.606 2 15.860 11 38.466 9 38.466 38.466
Jesse Love 9 1 Running 1 23.363 9 15.200 10 38.563 10 38.563 38.563
Sammy Smith 13 24 Running 3 24.236 21 15.073 9 39.309 11 34.118 43.799
Matt DiBenedetto 30 11 Running 2 23.539 13 17.040 12 40.579 12 40.343 40.814
Josh Williams 21 20 Accident 1 23.421 10 17.560 14 40.981 13 40.981 40.981
Sam Mayer 8 2 Running 2 22.603 1 18.740 16 41.343 14 40.835 41.850
Ryan Sieg 14 19 Accident 1 24.389 23 17.320 13 41.709 15 41.709 41.709
Christian Eckes 3 12 Running 1 23.438 12 18.480 15 41.918 16 41.918 41.918
Jeremy Clements 25 9 Running 1 22.883 4 19.920 18 42.803 17 42.803 42.803
Leland Honeyman Jr 34 21 Accident 2 24.493 24 19.070 17 43.563 18 43.200 43.925
Jeb Burton 22 16 Running 2 23.436 11 21.140 20 44.576 19 43.920 45.232
Josh Bilicki 29 14 Running 1 23.122 8 21.740 22 44.862 20 44.862 44.862
Blaine Perkins 26 34 Power Steer 1 24.184 20 21.100 19 45.284 21 45.284 45.284
Carson Kvapil 10 4 Running 2 22.917 5 22.790 25 45.707 22 44.943 46.470
Patrick Emerling 35 10 Running 1 24.690 25 21.240 21 45.930 23 45.930 45.930
Connor Zilisch 20 27 Accident 1 22.972 7 23.060 26 46.032 24 46.032 46.032
Kris Wright 17 32 Accident 2 23.757 17 22.780 24 46.537 25 44.727 48.346
Parker Retzlaff 28 29 Accident 2 24.298 22 24.150 30 48.448 26 45.204 51.692
Garrett Smithley 31 31 Electrical 2 25.276 28 23.490 28 48.766 27 43.407 54.125
Dean Thompson 19 8 Running 1 25.558 30 23.220 27 48.778 28 48.778 48.778
Caesar Bacarella 36 13 Running 2 27.147 33 21.890 23 49.037 29 48.408 49.665
Jordan Anderson 38 7 Running 3 25.392 29 24.067 29 49.458 30 48.397 50.818
Anthony Alfredo 27 22 Accident 1 24.720 26 25.980 32 50.700 31 50.700 50.700
Joey Gase 37 15 Running 5 26.104 31 25.456 31 51.560 32 47.609 53.639
Greg Van Alst 16 26 Accident 2 26.278 32 26.480 33 52.758 33 52.351 53.165

Pit Stop Detailed Report

Each 2- and 4-wheel pit stop during the race.

United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway Pit Stop Detail
DRIVER LDR LAP DRV LAP DRV TIME CREW TIME TOT TIME TYPE
Ryan Truex 61 61 22.901 9.740 32.641 Right-sides only
Ryan Truex 32 32 24.407 19.080 43.487 4-wheel change
Justin Allgaier 21 21 23.584 8.600 32.184 Left-sides only
Justin Allgaier 61 61 23.381 10.760 34.141 Right-sides only
Justin Allgaier 81 80 23.704 16.760 40.464 4-wheel change
Joey Gase 91 90 25.509 22.100 47.609 4-wheel change
Joey Gase 9 8 26.504 25.360 51.864 4-wheel change
Joey Gase 62 62 27.090 25.040 52.130 4-wheel change
Joey Gase 33 33 26.276 26.280 52.556 4-wheel change
Joey Gase 115 114 25.139 28.500 53.639 4-wheel change
Jeb Burton 32 32 23.500 20.420 43.920 4-wheel change
Jeb Burton 61 61 23.372 21.860 45.232 4-wheel change
Matt DiBenedetto 62 62 23.323 17.020 40.343 4-wheel change
Matt DiBenedetto 33 33 23.754 17.060 40.814 4-wheel change
Ryan Sieg 32 32 24.389 17.320 41.709 4-wheel change
Garrett Smithley 62 62 23.667 19.740 43.407 4-wheel change
Garrett Smithley 6 5 26.885 27.240 54.125 4-wheel change
Josh Bilicki 61 61 23.122 21.740 44.862 4-wheel change
Austin Hill 32 32 22.826 6.920 29.746 Left-sides only
Austin Hill 61 61 23.035 7.640 30.675 Right-sides only
Caesar Bacarella 90 90 27.528 20.880 48.408 4-wheel change
Caesar Bacarella 22 21 26.765 22.900 49.665 4-wheel change
Harrison Burton 21 21 23.833 9.300 33.133 Left-sides only
Jeremy Clements 62 62 22.883 19.920 42.803 4-wheel change
Josh Williams 21 21 23.421 17.560 40.981 4-wheel change
Anthony Alfredo 61 61 24.720 25.980 50.700 4-wheel change
Patrick Emerling 62 61 24.690 21.240 45.930 4-wheel change
Sheldon Creed 61 61 23.290 7.780 31.070 Right-sides only
Sheldon Creed 32 32 22.428 16.000 38.428 4-wheel change
Jordan Anderson 91 90 24.737 23.660 48.397 4-wheel change
Jordan Anderson 62 61 25.520 23.640 49.160 4-wheel change
Jordan Anderson 32 32 25.918 24.900 50.818 4-wheel change
Kris Wright 62 62 23.587 21.140 44.727 4-wheel change
Kris Wright 33 33 23.926 24.420 48.346 4-wheel change
Blaine Perkins 61 61 24.184 21.100 45.284 4-wheel change
Sam Mayer 21 21 22.395 18.440 40.835 4-wheel change
Sam Mayer 61 61 22.810 19.040 41.850 4-wheel change
Christian Eckes 21 21 23.438 18.480 41.918 4-wheel change
Dean Thompson 33 33 25.558 23.220 48.778 4-wheel change
Taylor Gray 61 61 23.694 8.460 32.154 Right-sides only
Taylor Gray 32 32 24.219 14.660 38.879 4-wheel change
Nicholas Sanchez 32 32 22.606 15.860 38.466 4-wheel change
Parker Retzlaff 22 21 24.424 20.780 45.204 4-wheel change
Parker Retzlaff 61 61 24.172 27.520 51.692 4-wheel change
Sammy Smith 32 32 26.098 8.020 34.118 Right-sides only
Sammy Smith 61 61 23.330 16.680 40.010 4-wheel change
Sammy Smith 8 8 23.279 20.520 43.799 4-wheel change
Leland Honeyman Jr 32 32 24.340 18.860 43.200 4-wheel change
Leland Honeyman Jr 61 61 24.645 19.280 43.925 4-wheel change
William Sawalich 32 32 23.882 9.720 33.602 Left-sides only
William Sawalich 61 61 23.388 16.280 39.668 4-wheel change
Jesse Love 61 61 23.363 15.200 38.563 4-wheel change
Greg Van Alst 33 33 25.871 26.480 52.351 4-wheel change
Greg Van Alst 62 62 26.685 26.480 53.165 4-wheel change
Carson Kvapil 61 61 23.043 21.900 44.943 4-wheel change
Carson Kvapil 91 90 22.790 23.680 46.470 4-wheel change
Connor Zilisch 61 61 22.972 23.060 46.032 4-wheel change
Justin Bonsignore 32 32 25.093 11.560 36.653 Left-sides only