Fresh From Florida 250
Daytona International Speedway — February 13, 2026
Chandler Smith
Winner
102
Laps
32
Lead Changes
12
Leaders
Chandler Smith won the 2026 Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2026, leading 8 of 102 laps. Giovanni Ruggiero finished second; Christian Eckes rounded out the podium. The race had 32 lead changes among 12 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Friday, February 13, 2026
Season
2026
Winner
Lead Changes
32
Leaders
12 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | +9 | Chandler Smith |
| 2 | 9 | +7 | Giovanni Ruggiero |
| 3 | 11 | +8 | Christian Eckes |
| 4 | 1 | -3 | Ty Majeski |
| 5 | 19 | +14 | John Hunter Nemechek |
| 6 | — | — | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 7 | — | — | Brenden Queen |
| 8 | 7 | -1 | Kaden Honeycutt |
| 9 | 6 | -3 | Tyler Ankrum |
| 10 | — | — | Stewart Friesen |
| 11 | — | — | Nick Leitz |
| 12 | — | — | Ben Rhodes |
| 13 | — | — | Andres Perez de Lara |
| 14 | — | — | Cole Butcher |
| 15 | — | — | Travis Pastrana |
| 16 | — | — | Frankie Muniz |
| 17 | — | — | Daniel Dye |
| 18 | — | — | Clay Greenfield |
| 19 | — | — | Timothy Tyrrell |
| 20 | — | — | Josh Reaume |
| 21 | — | — | Spencer Boyd |
| 22 | — | — | Justin Haley |
| 23 | 3 | -20 | Tanner Gray |
| 24 | 2 | -22 | Michael McDowell |
| 25 | — | — | Kris Wright |
| 26 | — | — | Daniel Hemric |
| 27 | — | — | Dawson Sutton |
| 28 | — | — | Taylor Gray |
| 29 | 5 | -24 | Grant Enfinger |
| 30 | — | — | Jason Kitzmiller |
| 31 | — | — | Layne Riggs |
| 32 | 8 | -24 | Jake Garcia |
| 33 | — | — | Jason M. White |
| 34 | — | — | Corey LaJoie |
| 35 | 4 | -31 | Carson Hocevar |
| 36 | — | — | Tony Stewart |
| 37 | — | — | Cleetus Mitchell |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Eckes | 3 | 7 | — | 12 |
| Ty Majeski | 7 | 3 | — | 12 |
| Chandler Smith | — | 1 | — | 10 |
| Tanner Gray | 2 | — | — | 9 |
| Layne Riggs | — | 2 | — | 9 |
| Kaden Honeycutt | 6 | — | — | 5 |
| Nick Leitz | — | 6 | — | 5 |
| Brenden Queen | 9 | — | — | 2 |
| Ben Rhodes | — | 10 | — | 1 |
| Grant Enfinger | 10 | — | — | 1 |
| Giovanni Ruggiero | — | — | — | — |
| John Hunter Nemechek | 4 | 8 | — | — |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | — | — | — | — |
| Tyler Ankrum | — | — | — | — |
| Stewart Friesen | — | — | — | — |
| Andres Perez de Lara | — | — | — | — |
| Cole Butcher | — | — | — | — |
| Travis Pastrana | — | — | — | — |
| Frankie Muniz | — | — | — | — |
| Daniel Dye | — | — | — | — |
| Clay Greenfield | — | — | — | — |
| Timothy Tyrrell | — | — | — | — |
| Josh Reaume | — | — | — | — |
| Spencer Boyd | — | — | — | — |
| Justin Haley | — | — | — | — |
| Michael McDowell | 5 | 5 | — | — |
| Kris Wright | — | — | — | — |
| Daniel Hemric | — | — | — | — |
| Dawson Sutton | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor Gray | 8 | 4 | — | — |
| Jason Kitzmiller | — | — | — | — |
| Jake Garcia | — | — | — | — |
| Jason M. White | — | — | — | — |
| Corey LaJoie | — | 9 | — | — |
| Carson Hocevar | 1 | — | — | — |
| Tony Stewart | — | — | — | — |
| Cleetus Mitchell | — | — | — | — |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 7 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.4 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | John Hunter Nemechek | 20.5 | 5 | +15.5 |
| 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 6 | +12.5 |
| 17 | Daniel Dye | 22.9 | 17 | +5.9 |
| 22 | Justin Haley | 23.4 | 22 | +1.4 |
| 24 | Michael McDowell | 20.0 | 24 | -4.0 |
| 34 | Corey LaJoie | 23.3 | 34 | -10.7 |
| 35 | Carson Hocevar | 19.4 | 35 | -15.6 |
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Chandler Smith: has 9 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 11.6 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: was the model’s top pick based on 31 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 18.6 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P6 on the day.
- John Hunter Nemechek: was the biggest surprise, finishing P5 vs predicted P21. Track history: 20 starts, 15.3 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Fresh From Florida 250?
Chandler Smith won the 2026 Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway driving for Front Row Motorsports.
Where was the 2026 Fresh From Florida 250 held?
The 2026 Fresh From Florida 250 was held at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2026.