The 2026 United Rentals 300 was a NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race held on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 120 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) superspeedway, it was the first race of the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season, and the 45th running of the event.
Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would survive a wreck-filled race and continued his superspeedway prowess, winning both stages and led a race-high 78 laps from the pole position to earn his 15th career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win, his first of the season, and his 11th superspeedway win in the series. It was also his fourth win in the season-opening race in the last five years. Justin Allgaier finished second, and Ryan Sieg finished third. Jordan Anderson and Sammy Smith rounded out the top five, while Ryan Ellis, Carson Kvapil, Blaine Perkins, Jesse Love, and Rajah Caruth rounded out the top ten.
Report Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Make 00 Sheldon Creed Haas Factory Team Chevrolet 0 Garrett Smithley SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 02 Ryan Ellis Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 2 Jesse Love Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Anthony Alfredo Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet 5 Luke Fenhaus (R) Hettinger Racing Ford 07 Josh Bilicki SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Sammy Smith JR Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Corey Day Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 18 William Sawalich Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Gio Ruggiero (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Austin Hill Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 24 Harrison Burton Sam Hunt Racing Toyota 25 Nick Sanchez AM Racing Ford 26 Dean Thompson Sam Hunt Racing Toyota 27 Jeb Burton Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 28 Kyle Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 30 Carson Ware Barrett–Cope Racing Chevrolet 31 Blaine Perkins Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 32 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet35 Natalie Decker Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet 38 Patrick Emerling (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 41 Sam Mayer Haas Factory Team Chevrolet 42 Carson Hocevar (i) Young's Motorsports Chevrolet 44 Brennan Poole Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet 45 Lavar Scott (R) Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet 48 Patrick Staropoli (R) Big Machine Racing Chevrolet 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 52 Daniel Dye (i) AM Racing Ford 53 David Starr Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet 54 Taylor Gray Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 55 Joey Gase Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet 87 Austin Green Peterson Racing Chevrolet 88 Rajah Caruth JR Motorsports Chevrolet 91 Mason Maggio DGM Racing Chevrolet 92 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 96 Anthony Alfredo Viking Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Parker Retzlaff Viking Motorsports ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, February 13, at 4:30 PM EST, and would last for 50 minutes.
Jeb Burton, driving for Jordan Anderson Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.735, and a speed of .
Practice results Pos.DriverTeamMakeTime127Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet48.735184.672226Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota48.853184.226317Corey DayHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet48.856184.215Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, February 14, at 10:00 AM EST. 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 have one lap to set a time and determine positions 11-38. The fastest ten drivers from the first round will advance to the second round, and whoever sets the fastest time in Round 2 will win the pole and determine the rest of the starting lineup.
Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would score the pole after advancing from the preliminary round and setting the fastest time in Round 2, with a lap of 49.390, and a speed of .
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Garrett Smithley, David Starr, and Joey Gase. Anthony Alfredo, who originally failed to qualify in his No. 96 car, would make a deal with Alpha Prime Racing to run their No. 4 car in the race, replacing Caesar Bacarella.
Qualifying results Pos.DriverTeamMakeTime (R1) (R1)Time (R2) (R2)121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.433182.06549.390182.22322Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.411182.14649.391182.219341Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamChevrolet49.493181.84449.399182.190418William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.408182.15749.429182.079500Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet49.508181.78949.430182.076617Corey DayHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49.553181.62449.430182.076788Rajah CaruthJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.542181.66449.472181.921848Patrick Staropoli (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet49.551181.63149.508181.789954Taylor GrayJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.591181.48549.557181.6091039Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet49.595181.47049.608181.422Eliminated in Round 1111Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.633181.331——128Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.683181.148——137Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.701181.083——1431Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet49.708181.057——1520Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.733180.966——1619Gio Ruggiero (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota49.739180.945——1732Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet49.739180.945——1826Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota49.800180.723——1938Patrick Emerling (i)RSS RacingChevrolet49.807180.697——2042Carson Hocevar (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet49.832180.607——2191Mason MaggioDGM RacingChevrolet49.838180.585——2227Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet49.852180.534——235Luke Fenhaus (R)Hettinger RacingFord49.894180.382——2424Harrison BurtonSam Hunt RacingToyota49.908180.332——2544Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet49.923180.278——264Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet49.928180.260——2799Parker RetzlaffViking MotorsportsChevrolet49.941180.213——2825Nick SanchezAM RacingFord49.968180.115——2951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet50.016179.942——3087Austin GreenPeterson RacingChevrolet50.061179.781——3192Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet50.074179.734——3202Ryan EllisYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet50.083179.702——Qualified by owner's points3352Daniel Dye (i)AM RacingFord50.103179.630——3407Josh BilickiSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet50.111179.601——3535Natalie DeckerJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet50.236179.154——3628Kyle SiegRSS RacingChevrolet50.250179.104——3745Lavar Scott (R)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet50.460178.359——3830Carson WareBarrett–Cope RacingChevrolet————Failed to qualify390Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet50.131179.530——4053David StarrJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet50.192179.311——4196Anthony AlfredoViking MotorsportsChevrolet50.237179.151——4255Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet50.633177.750——Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race
Race results
Stage results Stage One Laps: 30 Pos.DriverTeamMakePts121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1022Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet931Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet847Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet7531Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet6600Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet5718William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4825Nick SanchezAM RacingFord3951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet21020Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage Two Laps: 30 Pos.DriverTeamMakePts121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10 21Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet937Justin AllgaierJR Motorsports Chevrolet8418William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7588Rajah CaruthJR MotorsportsChevrolet6699Parker RetzlaffViking MotorsportsChevrolet578Sammy SmithJR Motorsports Chevrolet4851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet3927Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet21031Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1
Final Stage results Stage Three Laps: 60 FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet12078Running752137Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1200Running5031039Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1200Running3441732Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1204Running335128Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet1201Running3663202Ryan EllisYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet1201Running317111Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsChevrolet1200Running4781431Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1200Running36922Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet12027Running3710788Rajah CaruthJR MotorsportsChevrolet1201Running3411264Anthony AlfredoAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1200Running26122544Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1200Running25131938Patrick Emerling (i)RSS RacingChevrolet1200Running0142799Parker RetzlaffViking MotorsportsChevrolet1200Running28153628Kyle SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1200Running22163745Lavar Scott (R)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet1200Running21173407Josh BilickiSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1200Running2018848Patrick Staropoli (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1200Running19193830Carson WareBarrett–Cope RacingChevrolet1200Running18202042Carson Hocevar (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet1200Running0213352Daniel Dye (i)AM RacingFord1200Running0223087Austin GreenPeterson RacingChevrolet1180Running1523235Luke Fenhaus (R)Hettinger RacingFord1170Running1424500Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamChevrolet1160Running18252227Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1070DVP1426418William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota992DVP2227617Corey DayHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet990Accident1028954Taylor GrayJoe Gibbs RacingToyota990Accident9292424Harrison BurtonSam Hunt RacingToyota980Accident8301520Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota920DVP831341Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamChevrolet916Accident6322951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet910Accident10333535Natalie DeckerJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet910Accident4343192Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet770Engine3351826Dean ThompsonSam Hunt RacingToyota680Suspension2362825Nick SanchezAM RacingFord320Accident4371619Gio Ruggiero (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota290Accident0382191Mason MaggioDGM RacingChevrolet00Accident1Official race results
Race statistics
Lead changes: 15 among 8 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 7 for 36 laps Red flags: 1 Time of race: 2 hours, 34 minutes and 21 seconds Average speed:
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Hill 75 2 Justin Allgaier 50 (–25) 3 Carson Kvapil 47 (–28) 4 Jesse Love 37 (–38) 5 Sammy Smith 36 (–39) 6 Blaine Perkins 36 (–39) 7 Ryan Sieg 34 (–41) 8 Rajah Caruth 34 (–41) 9 Jordan Anderson 33 (–42) 10 Ryan Ellis 31 (–44) 11 Parker Retzlaff 28 (–47) 12 Anthony Alfredo 26 (–49)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 40 2 Ford 16 (–24) 3 Toyota 11 (–29) Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References