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]
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. [3]
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. [4]
Kerry Earnhardt started from the pole in the 2005 race, but finished 35th due to an accident. Bobby Hamilton won from the 36th starting position, the farthest starting position for a driver to win. [5] The race was marred by a late caution resulting in confusion: Jimmy Spencer had held off Hamilton on the final lap before a caution was called just before both reached the finish line. Spencer, thinking he was the winner, celebrated in Victory Lane before NASCAR officials reviewed the finish and determined Hamilton was the leader at the time the caution was called and, thus, the winner. [6]
In 2007, another three-wide finish between Travis Kvapil, Johnny Benson Jr., 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. [7]
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; [8] Kyle Busch finished second in both races. Also, Todd Bodine won the 2009 race without a sponsor. [8] 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. [9]
In the 2011 race, Michael Waltrip pulled off a slingshot last-lap pass on Elliott Sadler to win his first career Truck race in a No. 15 truck. 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. [10] [11]
In 2017, 18-year-old Kaz Grala scored his maiden Truck Series victory, becoming the youngest race winner in Daytona history. Matt Crafton had been leading the race on the final lap before he was turned by a spinning Ben Rhodes and sent into a flip. [12]
In 2019, only nine drivers finished the race, with many being involved in wrecks. Austin Hill survived the carnage to win his first career Truck race. [13]
In 2020, Grant Enfinger won 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. [14] 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. [15] On lap 16, rookie Ty Majeski flipped onto his roof, sliding on it for several hundred feet on the banking before landing on the apron. [16]
The 2023 event marked the first time that the event failed to reach the 250-mile/100-lap distance. On-and-off 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 return 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. [17]
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]
