NASCAR Daytona Live Updates, Highlights & Leaderboard

Updated Feb. 14, 2026, 6:35 p.m. CT

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series begins a new era and a new season with the United Rentals 300 on Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway.

Austin Hill will lead the field to the green flag alongside teammate Jesse Love on the front row.

Love and Hill have combined to win the last four Daytona openers, as well as four of the last six drafting-track races overall in the series.

The 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series field does not have a lot of turnover from last season among contenders; 11 of 12 playoff drivers are in the field at Daytona.

Follow along with the Tennessean’s race updates below:

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona live updates, highlights, live leaderboard for the United Rentals 300

Table of Contents

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona live updates, highlights, live leaderboard for the United Rentals 300
Lap 99: Another multi-car crash including William Sawalich, Jeb Burton, Corey Day
Lap 97: Sammy Smith to P1
NASCAR O’Reilly leaderboard with 25 laps to go
Who was involved in the Big One?
Lap 91: The Big One, including Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, others
Lap 88: RCR Chevrolets have advantage, with Jesse Love in front
Daniel Dye penalized for speeding on pit road
Lap 80: Pit stops beginning with Chevrolets
Lap 73: Austin Green spins, no caution
Lap 68: Austin Hill leads off the restart
Austin Hill wins Stage 2
Lap 50: Austin Hill still in control, but JRM forming behind
Sheldon Creed green-flag stop
Lap 39: Back to green
Austin Hill wins Stage 1 as other cars crash in lead pack
Lap 29: Corey Day spins, no caution
Lap 25: RCR cars still in control
Lap 11: Ryan Sieg believes he has a flat tire
Lap 7: William Sawalich to the lead
Caution before the field can take the green!
Lap 1: Green flag at Daytona!
About to fire engines at Daytona
Austin Hill on the pole; full NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Daytona race starting lineup
NASCAR race radio coverage: How to listen to NASCAR O’Reilly race at Daytona
NASCAR O’Reilly Daytona race TV schedule, start time
Recent NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series winners at Daytona

Lap 99: Another multi-car crash including William Sawalich, Jeb Burton, Corey Day

Another multi-car crash is triggered through turns 3 and 4, with Taylor Gray, William Sawalich, Jeb Burton, Corey Day, Harrison Burton and others involved.

Harrison Burton is done for the day, as is Taylor Gray.

Carson Hocevar is also involved, as is Lavar Scott. Daniel Dye, Kyle Sieg and Rajah Caruth are involved. Justin Allgaier got a hit to the right-rear quarter panel as Sawalich spun initially.

Crash was triggered by Sawalich getting a bump from Day into the corner.

Lap 97: Sammy Smith to P1

Sammy Smith edges ahead of Jesse Love for the lead.

Austin Hill restarted in 11th after pitting during the caution. Intensity is up.

NASCAR O’Reilly leaderboard with 25 laps to go

The reset out of the red flag and ahead of the restart:

Jesse Love
Sammy Smith
Blaine Perkins
Carson Kvapil
Parker Retzlaff
Rajah Caruth
William Sawalich
Jeb Burton
Corey Day
Kyle Sieg
Austin Hill
Patrick Emerling

Who was involved in the Big One?

Red flag displayed for cleanup.

Those in the crash include:

Ryan Sieg
Jeb Burton
Justin Allgaier
Sam Mayer
Brandon Jones
Jeremy Clements
Natalie Decker

Justin Allgaier’s team has been working through their game plan for repairs on the radio. Not much panic on the radio for the veteran team.

Looking back at the replay, Sieg had to get out of the throttle as Parker Retzlaff got out of shape. Sieg lifted, but Jeb Burton was right behind Sieg.

Lap 91: The Big One, including Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, others

The middle of the pack is the origin of the Big One, with Ryan Sieg, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, Jeremy Clements and others in the crash. Sieg and Jeb Burton made contact to start the melee; the two cars were just not lined up squarely.

Jones has his rear bumper dragging along. Allgaier has his front bumper caved in.

Taylor Gray is also involved. Natalie Decker is collected at the end, hitting Mayer. Clements, Mayer and Decker are done for the day.

The RCR-affiliated Chevrolets were ahead of that, the advantage of doing the pit cycle well.

Lap 88: RCR Chevrolets have advantage, with Jesse Love in front

Five cars have not stopped, all who were toward the back of the field.

Jesse Love and the RCR-affiliated Chevys lead the lead pack, with Austin Hill back behind Love and Blaine Perkins.

Daniel Dye penalized for speeding on pit road

Daniel Dye has a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road. He is in the second AM Racing Ford entry.

Meanwhile, William Sawalich pits with no one else. That’s not optimal.

Lap 80: Pit stops beginning with Chevrolets

Austin Hill and Jesse Love will lead a group of Chevrolets down pit road.

This is the first group of cars in for the final stop of the race.

Lap 73: Austin Green spins, no caution

Austin Green spins into turn 1, but doesn’t hit anything. No caution.

It’s still Austin Hill P1, Jesse Love P2 up front.

Lap 68: Austin Hill leads off the restart

Austin Hill remains in control after the restart, though Justin Allgaier is trying to make a push on the inside. Joe Gibbs teammates William Sawalich and Brandon Jones are lined up behind Hill on the outside.

Austin Hill wins Stage 2

Austin Hill blocks Carson Kvapil to the line to protect the lead and take Stage 2.

Austin Hill
Carson Kvapil
Justin Allgaier
William Sawalich
Rajah Caruth
Parker Retzlaff
Sammy Smith
Jeremy Clements
Jeb Burton
Blaine Perkins

Corey Day nearly spun again late in the stage off of turn 4, but saved it.

Jeb Burton: “I can’t do that all night.” He is worried he will eventually spin in the pack off of turn 4 a la Day.

Good stage-point days for Jeremy Clements and Blaine Perkins, logging points in both stages. Clements was in the Lap 1 crash right at the green flag, so hat tip to him.

Lap 50: Austin Hill still in control, but JRM forming behind

Austin Hill is still in control, with Jesse Love in second. But Justin Allgaier, Rajah Caruth and Carson Kvapil are starting to work together near the front.

Stage 2 ends at the completion of Lap 60.

Sheldon Creed green-flag stop

Sheldon Creed, already a lap down, comes back down pit road under green with an apparent issue in the right rear. Creed believed it to be a tire issue, but the team thinks it could be something else on the radio.

They change tires, and Creed is away. But he’ll have to pit again for a pit-road penalty. Too many crew members over the wall.

Lap 39: Back to green

Jesse Love now takes command up front with Austin Hill right behind. Business as usual.

Among those in the late-Stage 1 crash, Sheldon Creed is one lap down, while Harrison Burton is two laps down. Nick Sanchez is out.

Austin Hill wins Stage 1 as other cars crash in lead pack

Austin Hill protects the lead and wins Stage 1 as other cars in the lead pack crash, including Gio Ruggiero, Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith.

Ruggiero’s day is done. Mayer doesn’t seem too concerned; it appeared he didn’t get too much damage, and he reports his steering is OK. Sheldon Creed also got some damage.

The top 10:

Austin Hill
Jesse Love
Carson Kvapil
Justin Allgaier
Blaine Perkins
William Sawalich
Jeremy Clements
Brandon Jones
Rajah Caruth
Taylor Gray

Nick Sanchez got some substantial damage at the back end of that crash and is done for the day.

Lap 29: Corey Day spins, no caution

Corey Day, in the bottom lane off of turn 4, spins toward the inside wall. He just brushes the wall, but no caution.

Lap 25: RCR cars still in control

Five laps to go in the first stage, and Austin Hill and Jesse Love are in control up front. It’s calm now; that’s not going to last.

Lap 11: Ryan Sieg believes he has a flat tire

Ryan Sieg tells his team he has a flat tire and needs to pit. He was running inside the top 10. Sieg reports it is a right-side issue. Right-side tire change only.

Lap 7: William Sawalich to the lead

William Sawalich takes the lead on the restart, with the RCR cars on the outside lane.

Caution before the field can take the green!

The inside line didn’t completely go, and the stack-up produces a multi-car crash. Mason Maggio has the heaviest damage and will be done for the day. Jeremy Clements and Brennan Poole spin through the grass on the tri-oval, while Anthony Alfredo has damage.