Under the Lights at Daytona: The NASCAR Xfinity Series Returns to the World Center of Racing

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is set to light up the night at Daytona International Speedway, where speed, strategy, and split-second decisions define every lap. This Friday, the high banks of the World Center of Racing will host one of the most electrifying events of the season—and fans can catch every pulse-pounding moment live on The Arkansas CW at 6 pm.

Daytona’s 2.5-mile tri-oval is built for drama. Its sweeping, steeply banked corners invite bold drafting, pack racing, and momentum swings that can shuffle the running order in an instant. At nearly 200 miles per hour, the field often runs inches apart, and one daring move can be the difference between a career-defining triumph and heartbreak. It’s the type of racing that demands patience until it suddenly doesn’t—when the final laps explode into a high-speed chess match at full throttle.

Here are some fun facts about Daytona International Speedway:

• Frontstretch is about 3,800 feet; backstretch is about 3,000 feet—built for pack racing and drafting.

  
  

• The first Daytona 500 (1959) ended in a disputed photo finish; Lee Petty was declared the winner three days later.

  
  

• Night racing arrived in 1998; the July Cup race under the lights quickly became a beloved tradition.

  
  

• Bill Elliott set a blistering 210.364 mph qualifying lap in 1987—the fastest NASCAR lap at Daytona before restrictor plates.

  
  

The stakes couldn’t be higher. With playoff spots on the line, drivers are willing to risk it all to secure a win and lock in their postseason hopes. Fans should be ready for intense side-by-side battles and bold passes as the closing laps compress the field into a single, roaring blur. Daytona finishes are legendary, and this one could be decided by thousandths of a second at the stripe.

Catch every lap, every battle, and every heart-stopping moment—live Friday at 6 PM CDT on The Arkansas CW. Get ready, racing fans—it’s time for Daytona!

Where You Can Watch The Race in NW Arkansas & The River Valley

Antenna: 29.2 or 40.2

Cox Cable: 4 or 2004

   AT&T U-verse: 30 or 1030

    DirecTV: 41

    DISH: 21

Where You Can Watch Qualifying 

Qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola will take place Friday, August 22nd, at 3 PM CDT. Qualifying is available for FREE to watch through the CW Streaming app.

Entry List for the Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola

Entry	Car Number	Driver	Race Team
1	1	Ross Chastain	Trackhouse Racing
2	2	Austin Cindric	Team Penske
3	3	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
4	4	Noah Gragson	Front Row Motorsports
5	5	Kyle Larson	Hendrick Motorsports
6	6	Brad Keselowski	RFK Racing
7	7	Justin Haley	Spire Motorsports
8	8	Kyle Busch	Richard Childress Racing
9	9	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
10	10	Ty Dillon	Kaulig Racing
11	11	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
12	12	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
13	16	AJ Allmendinger	Kaulig Racing
14	17	Chris Buescher	RFK Racing
15	19	Chase Briscoe	Joe Gibbs Racing
16	20	Christopher Bell	Joe Gibbs Racing
17	21	Josh Berry	Wood Brothers Racing
18	22	Joey Logano	Team Penske
19	23	Bubba Wallace	23XI Racing
20	24	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
21	33	Austin Hill (i)	Richard Childress Racing
22	34	Todd Gilliland	Front Row Motorsports
23	35	Riley Herbst	23XI Racing
24	38	Zane Smith	Front Row Motorsports
25	41	Cole Custer	Haas Factory Team
26	42	John Hunter Nemechek	LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
27	43	Erik Jones	LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
28	44	Joey Gase (i)	NY Racing Team
29	45	Tyler Reddick	23XI Racing
30	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	HYAK Motorsports
31	48	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
32	51	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing
33	54	Ty Gibbs	Joe Gibbs Racing
34	60	Ryan Preece	RFK Racing
35	66	Casey Mears	Garage 66
36	71	Michael McDowell	Spire Motorsports
37	77	Carson Hocevar	Spire Motorsports
38	78	BJ McLeod (i)	Live Fast Motorsports
39	88	Shane van Gisbergen	Trackhouse Racing
40	99	Daniel Suarez	Trackhouse Racing