Jump to content

NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series at Daytona International Speedway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Goody's 300)
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series at Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series
VenueDaytona International Speedway
LocationDaytona Beach, Florida, United States
DistanceLength
Oval: 2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Road Course: 3.61 miles (5.81 km)
Turns
Oval: 4
Road Course: 14
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt

Stock car racing events in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series have been held at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida during numerous seasons and times of year since 1982.

Until 2002, it was the only event of the O'Reilly Series to be annually held at Daytona International Speedway. In 2020, a Xfinity Series race was held on a modified road course layout.

Spring race

[edit]
United Rentals 300
Corporate sponsorUnited Rentals[1]
First race1982
Distance300 miles (480 km)
Laps120
Stages 1/2: 30 each
Final stage: 60
Previous namesModified Sportsman Race (1959–1965)
Permatex 300 (1966–1977)
Sportsman 300 (1978–1981)
Goody's 300 (1982–1995)
Goody's Headache Powder 300 (1996)
Gargoyles 300 (1997)
NAPA Auto Parts 300 (1998–2001)
EAS/GNC Live Well 300 (2002)
Koolerz 300 (2003)
Hershey's Kisses 300 (2004)
Hershey's Take 5 300 (2005)
Hershey's Kissables 300 (2006)
Orbitz 300 (2007)
Camping World 300 (2008–2009)
DRIVE4COPD 300 (2010–2014)
Alert Today Florida 300 (2015)
PowerShares QQQ 300 (2016–2018)
NASCAR Racing Experience 300 (2019–2020)
Beef. It's What's for Dinner. 300 (2021–2023)
Most wins (driver)Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart (7)
Most wins (team)Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Richard Childress Racing (8)
Most wins (manufacturer)Chevrolet (38)

The United Rentals 300 is the first race of the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season, 300-mile-long (483 km) held at Daytona International Speedway. It is held the day before the Daytona 500, and is considered the most prestigious event of the O'Reilly Series.

Austin Hill is the defending winner of the event.

History

[edit]

In 1959, the new 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway hosted its first O'Reilly Series event. It was scheduled the day before the Daytona 500, and ran a distance of either 200 or 250 miles. In 1968, the race was shifted from the Modifieds division to the newly organized NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division.

In 1982, the Late Model Sportsman Division was reorganized into the modern day NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.

The 2018 race produced the closest finish in any of NASCAR's top three series, when Tyler Reddick edged Elliott Sadler by 0.0004 seconds, making it the closest finish in NASCAR history. Since NASCAR scoring and timing does not measure beyond thousands of a second, the margin of victory was officially listed as 0.000 seconds (with video review which declared Reddick the winner by less than three inches). Analysis after the race by NASCAR timing and scoring officials placed Reddick's margin of victory at 0.0004 seconds.[2] This race also had a record five overtime finishes, extending the race length to 143 laps.

Sponsors

[edit]

In 1966, the race became known as the Permatex 300, making it only the second race on the NASCAR schedule to be named for a corporate sponsor. From 1982 to 1996, the race was sponsored by Goody's for several years. Other sponsorships for the race included NAPA Auto Parts, GNC, Hershey's, Camping World, the NASCAR Driving Experience, the National Livestock and Meat Board (alternatively known as "Beef 300" in NASCAR media), and United Rentals.[3]

Incidents

[edit]

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the race was often ridiculed and exploited by local media for its frequent crashes and massive pileups. Several major accidents and fires over the years were blamed on the low level of experience by several of the drivers, and the older equipment used. The level of prestige held by the event, along with the relatively large purses, attracted numerous independent and one-off entries, contributing to the inexperience of drivers in the field.

By the time the race had become part of a NASCAR touring series race, NASCAR tightened driver eligibility requirements, and the number of incidents has drastically been reduced. Under current NASCAR rules, drivers must be cleared to race at Daytona, Talladega (added to the second tier series in 1992), and Atlanta (after the 2022 redesign) requiring enough experience at intermediate tracks to be cleared by NASCAR to participate at Daytona. Drivers who intend to run the 300 or the Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 are required to participate in other lower-tier shorter support races, whether it was the former Dash Series race (which ended after 2004—it used less powerful cars) or until 2020, the ARCA race the week prior to gain NASCAR clearance, especially if a driver has turned 18 after the preceding October Talladega Craftsman Truck Series race (the ARCA race was moved to the Xfinity race day in 2021). NASCAR will also mandate the driver to participate in the January ARCA test at Daytona prior to the ARCA race or any national series race they intend to enter at Daytona, Talladega, or Atlanta during a season before they are allowed to participate in an ARCA or national series race at those circuits and there are no intermediate tracks beforehand.

The 1960 race is notable for having the largest pileup in NASCAR history. On the first lap, 37 cars crashed in turn four (out of a starting field of 68).

In 1981 and 2004, the race started on Saturday, but was halted by rain, and finished Monday, the day after the Daytona 500. The 1969 race was red flagged three times for rain and also saw the fatal crash involving Don MacTavish, which his whole front of the car ripped off.

The 1979 running was shortened by rain and won by Darrell Waltrip. A brutal crash erupted off Turn Two where fire exploded from the Marion Cox Mercury of Joe Frasson; driver Don Williams was gravely injured in the crash and would die ten years later from the incident.

The 2013 race featured two large accidents. With five laps remaining, Michael Annett and Austin Dillon collided and a multi-car crash erupted in the first turn. The race was halted as a red flag was given to clean up the debris. Annett was hospitalized overnight after sustaining bruises on his chest, but was released the following day in time for the Daytona 500, but was ruled out for the following race at Phoenix because of a sternum injury. Following the red flag the race had two laps remaining. Regan Smith and Brad Keselowski moved into the lead on the final lap, but off the fourth turn, Keselowski turned Smith into the wall head on, causing the field to pile in. Kyle Larson had the most significant impact, as his No.32 Chevrolet flew into the tri-oval catch fence, causing its nose to snag a crossover gate, which tore open. The force of the collision dug the engine in, ripping it out of the car. The car's entire front half disintegrated and one front wheel lodged onto the engine and another flew approximately ten rows into the grandstand, injuring 30 spectators (two in critical condition). A total of twelve cars were involved in the crash, but all were unharmed.[4] The two spectators that were seriously injured by the debris from Larson's crash were treated at the nearby Halifax Medical Center and were later released.

In 2015, two cautions in the final forty laps were caused by separate collisions that included eleven cars. In the first collision, Regan Smith's car flipped over once in the tri-oval, while in the second collision, Kyle Busch collided into a concrete wall head on, suffering a fracture in his leg and foot. Ryan Reed would win the race, the first race under the Xfinity banner. As a result of his injuries, Busch was forced to miss the first 11 races of the Sprint Cup Series season however he would still manage to win the season championship.

On the final lap of the 2022 Beef. It's What's for Dinner. 300, Myatt Snider flipped into the catchfence coming into turn 3. The driver walked away from the crash. This gave former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Hill his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win.

Past winners

[edit]
Year Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)		 Report Ref
Laps Miles (km)
1959 February 21 49 Banjo Matthews N/A Ford 80 200 (321.868) 1:29:07 134.65 Report [5]
1960 February 13 81 Bubba Farr Roy Cook Ford 100 250 (402.336) 2:08:38 116.610 Report [6]
1961 February 25 50 Jimmy Thompson Marion Cox Ford 100 250 (402.336) 1:45:50 141.732 Report [7]
1962 February 17 9 Lee Roy Yarbrough N/A Ford 100 250 (402.336) 1:42:14 146.723 Report [8]
1963 February 23 70 Lee Roy Yarbrough N/A Studebaker 100 250 (402.336) 1:42:02 147.01 Report [9]
1964 February 22 55 Tiny Lund N/A Ford 80* 200 (321.868) 1:54:49 104.506 Report [10]
1965 February 13 50 Marvin Panch Marion Cox Ford 100 250 (402.336) 1:55:48 129.533 Report [11]
1966 February 27 87 Curtis Turner Andy Hotton Ford 120 300 (482.803) 2:04:33 144.52 Report [12]
1967 February 25 04 Jim Paschal N/A Plymouth 120 300 (482.803) 2:01:28 148.188 Report [13]
1968 February 24 3 Bunkie Blackburn Ray Fox Dodge 120 300 (482.803) 2:08:11 140.423 Report [14]
1969* February 22 29 Lee Roy Yarbrough Bondy Long Ford 120 300 (482.803) 2:49:13 105.365 Report [15]
1970 February 21 29 Tiny Lund Bondy Long Ford 120 300 (482.803) 2:15:01 133.316 Report [16]
1971 February 13 97 Red Farmer N/A Ford 120 300 (482.803) 2:27:43 140.936 Report [17]
1972 February 19 90 Bill Dennis Junie Donlavey Mercury 120 300 (482.803) 2:12:43 135.627 Report [18]
1973 February 17 90 Bill Dennis Junie Donlavey Mercury 120 300 (482.803) 2:14:10 134.161 Report [19]
1974 February 16 90 Bill Dennis Junie Donlavey Mercury 108* 270 (434.522) 1:55:20 140.462 Report [20]
1975 February 15 11 Jack Ingram N/A Chevrolet 120 300 (482.803) 2:10:20 138.107 Report [21]
1976 February 14 04 Joe Millikan Petty Enterprises Dodge 120 300 (482.803) 2:03:26 145.828 Report [22]
1977 February 19 21 Donnie Allison N/A Chevrolet 120 300 (482.803) 1:56:36 154.396 Report [23]
1978 February 18 88 Darrell Waltrip DiGard Racing Chevrolet 120 300 (482.803) 1:50:39 162.675 Report [24]
1979 February 17 88 Darrell Waltrip DiGard Racing Chevrolet 69* 172 (276.807) 1:50:22 93.778 Report [25]
1980 February 16 94 Jack Ingram Junie Donlavey Ford 120 300 (482.803) 2:19:44 128.817 Report [26]
1981 February 14/16* 21 David Pearson Joel Halpern Pontiac 120 300 (482.803) 2:19:05 129.419 Report [27]
1982 February 13 15 Dale Earnhardt Robert Gee