The 2024 United Rentals 300 was the 1st stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 43rd iteration of the event. The race was originally scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 17, 2024, but was later postponed to Monday, February 19, due to consistent rain showers.[9] The race was held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent tri-oval shaped asphalt superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 120 laps to complete. In a wild race that saw numerous lead changes, Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would overcome from a late pit road penalty, and held off the leaders on the final restart to earn his seventh career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. It was also his third consecutive win in the season-opener Daytona race.[10]Jesse Love, Hill's teammate, started on the pole and led a race-high 34 laps, before being involved in a wreck during Stage 2.[11] To fill out the podium, Sheldon Creed, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Parker Retzlaff, driving for Jordan Anderson Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Daytona International Speedway, the circuit where the race will be held.
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.[12] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.[13] The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[13]
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
(i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
The first and only practice session was held on Friday, February 16, at 4:35 PM EST, and would last for 50 minutes.[14]Jeb Burton, driving for Jordan Anderson Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.338, and a speed of 186.189 mph (299.642 km/h).[15]
Qualifying was held on Saturday, February 17, at 1:30 PM EST.[14] It was originally scheduled to be held at 11:30 AM, but was delayed due to consistent rain showers in the area. Since Daytona International Speedway is a superspeedway, the qualifying system used is a single-car, single-lap system with two rounds. In the first round, drivers have one lap to set a time. The fastest ten drivers from the first round move on to the second round. Whoever sets the fastest time in Round 2 will win the pole.[16]
Because of the delayed start and the threat of more incoming rain, only one round of qualifying was contested. Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 49.702, and a speed of 181.079 mph (291.418 km/h).[17]
