The 2025 Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola was the 24th stock car race of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, August 22, 2025, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, a permanent quad-oval shaped superspeedway. The race was contested over 104 laps, extended from 100 laps due to an overtime finish.
In an action-packed race with numerous lead changes, Parker Kligerman, driving for JR Motorsports, won the race after replacing Connor Zilisch (injured at Watkins Glen two weeks prior) during a Lap 13 caution. Kligerman would survive late-race chaos and took the victory after a massive wreck brought out the caution on the final lap while leading. Because Zilisch started the race, he was officially credited with the win, marking the first time since the 2007 AT&T 250 that a relief driver won in the Xfinity Series. This was Zilisch's eighth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his seventh of the season. Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier finished 2nd and 3rd in a 1-2-3 finish for JRM respectively.
Report
Background
The race will be held at Daytona International Speedway, a race track located in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, the track is the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross. It features multiple layouts including the primary 2.5 miles (4.0 km) high speed tri-oval, a 3.56 miles (5.73 km) sports car course, a 2.95 miles (4.75 km) motorcycle course, and a .25 miles (0.40 km) karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's 180-acre (73 ha) infield includes the 29-acre (12 ha) Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The track was built in 1959 by NASCAR founder William "Bill" France, Sr. to host racing held at the former Daytona Beach Road Course. His banked design permitted higher speeds and gave fans a better view of the cars. Lights were installed around the track in 1998 and today, it is the third-largest single lit outdoor sports facility. The speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004 and the track repaved twice — in 1978 and in 2010. On January 22, 2013, the track unveiled artist depictions of a renovated speedway. On July 5 of that year, ground was broken for a project that would remove the backstretch seating and completely redevelop the frontstretch seating. The renovation to the speedway is being worked on by Rossetti Architects. The project, named "Daytona Rising", was completed in January 2016, and it cost US $400 million, placing emphasis on improving fan experience with five expanded and redesigned fan entrances (called "injectors") as well as wider and more comfortable seating with more restrooms and concession stands. After the renovations, the track's grandstands include 101,000 permanent seats with the ability to increase permanent seating to 125,000. The project was completed before the start of Speedweeks.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord1Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet2Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Parker RetzlaffAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet5Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet07Patrick Emerling (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Daniel Dye (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet14Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet16Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet18William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet25Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord26Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet32Rajah Caruth (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Mason MaggioJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord41Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord42Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet44Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Josh WilliamsAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet54Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota70Leland HoneymanCope Family RacingChevrolet71Ryan EllisDGM RacingChevrolet88Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet91Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet92Natalie DeckerDGM RacingChevrolet99Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevroletOfficial entry list
Starting lineup Qualifying was originally scheduled to be held on Friday, August 22, at 3:00 PM EST, but was cancelled due to lightning strikes in the area. Since Daytona International Speedway is a superspeedway, the qualifying procedure used is a single-car, single-lap system with two rounds. In the first round, drivers will have one lap to set a time to determine positions 11–38. The fastest ten drivers from the first round move on to the second round, and whoever sets the fastest time in Round 2 will win the pole.
After 15 cars took a qualifying lap, lightning struck within the eight-mile radius of the track. Because the session was delayed earlier from lightning, and time constraints with Cup Series qualifying, the rest of the session was cancelled, and the starting lineup was determined by the performance metric system. As a result, Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, was awarded the pole.
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Starting lineup Pos.#DriverTeamMake188Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet241Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord38Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet57Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet61Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet720Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota825Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord916Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet102Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1126Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota1244Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1327Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1454Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1532Rajah Caruth (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1651Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1710Daniel Dye (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1848Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet194Parker RetzlaffAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2045Josh WilliamsAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2111Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2239Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord2331Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2418William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2553Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2635Mason MaggioJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2700Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord2891Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet2919Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3028Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord3171Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet3242Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevroletQualified by owner's points3399Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevrolet3407Patrick Emerling (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet3570Leland HoneymanCope Family RacingChevrolet3614Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet375Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet3892Natalie DeckerDGM RacingChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 30 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts18Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet10241Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord9399Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevrolet8421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet757Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet6620Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota5716Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet4842Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet3927Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet21018William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1
Stage 2 Laps: 30 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1022Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9316Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet8421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet7500Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord6626Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota5725Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord4854Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota3920Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21039Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1
Stage 3 Laps: 54 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1188Connor Zilisch (R) Parker Kligerman JR MotorsportsChevrolet10412Running40238Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet10418Running45357Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1046Running504102Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10414Running425241Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord10416Running416720Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1040Running3871126Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota1040Running3583614Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1041Running2991244Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1040Running281061Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet1040Running27113171Ryan EllisDGM RacingChevrolet1040Running26122418William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1040Running26133407Patrick Emerling (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1040Running0142331Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1040Running23152635Mason MaggioJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1040Running2216825Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord1040Running25172700Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord1043Running26182891Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet1040Running19192111Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1047Running0201327Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1040Running19212553Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1040Running16223892Natalie DeckerDGM RacingChevrolet1040Running15231848Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1040Running14242919Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1030Accident1425421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1038Accident26263570Leland HoneymanCope Family RacingChevrolet1030Accident11273028Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1030Accident1028375Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1030Running9291532Rajah Caruth (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1020Running0301454Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1010Running10312239Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord9819Accident732916Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet970Accident17333399Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevrolet960Accident12342045Josh WilliamsAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet960Accident3351710Daniel Dye (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet960Accident2361651Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet890Accident1373242Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet670Electrical438194Parker RetzlaffAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet300Water Pump1Official race results
Notes
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Justin Allgaier 866 1 2 Connor Zilisch 863 (–3) 3 Sam Mayer 840 (–26) 4 Jesse Love 773 (–93) 5 Austin Hill 716 (–150) 6 Carson Kvapil 687 (–179) 7 Brandon Jones 684 (–182) 8 Sheldon Creed 651 (–215) 1 9 Sammy Smith 648 (–218) 1 10 Taylor Gray 634 (–232) 11 Harrison Burton 603 (–263) 12 Nick Sanchez 569 (–297)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 945 2 Ford 772 (–173) 3 Toyota 766 (–179) Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
Notes
References