Ryan Truex emerged victorious in a dramatic overtime finish at the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway, securing his second NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season and his career. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led the field to the yellow and checkered flags on the final lap of overtime, benefiting from a last-moment accident that ended the race under caution.

The race was marked by limited green flag runs and numerous incidents, culminating in a final lap crash involving frontrunners A.J. Allmendinger and Parker Kligerman. Kligerman’s contact with Allmendinger’s car sent the latter into the wall, bringing out the race-ending caution with Truex in the lead.

Truex, the 32-year-old younger brother of NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., expressed his gratitude in Victory Lane. “Oh my gosh, thanks to these fans, it’s so amazing to race here,” Truex said. “I don’t get to race that often and I don’t know what I’m going to do next year. It’s all a work in progress.”

Chandler Smith, Truex’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, finished second, followed by Kligerman in third. Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg rounded out the top five.

The race significantly impacted the Xfinity Series points standings. Justin Allgaier, who won both stages and led a race-best 35 laps, overtook Cole Custer for the championship lead. Custer, who entered the race with a 50-point advantage, suffered early damage in a pit road incident and finished 32nd, now trailing Allgaier by 33 points with five races left in the regular season.

The battle for the final Playoff spot also saw a shakeup, with Ryan Sieg’s fifth-place finish moving him into the 12th and final Playoff position, 15 points ahead of Sammy Smith.

Austin Hill, another championship contender, had a night to forget. Starting from the rear due to pre-race issues, Hill was collected in a multi-car accident on the first lap and ultimately finished 34th, dropping to fourth in the standings.

The Xfinity Series now heads to Darlington Raceway for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 on September 7, where drivers will continue their push for Playoff positions and championship points.

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images