For the NASCAR Cup Series, Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 is one final chance to make the postseason.
Drivers in the Xfinity Series, however, have a little more breathing room.
The Wawa 250 is set for Friday (NBCSN, 7:30 p.m.) and will kick-start an intense two days of racing at the track.
Unlike the Cup race, Friday's Xfinity race won't serve as the final event of the regular season. That spot is reserved for the Sept. 17 race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Xfinity Series has three more regular-season races than Cup because only 12 drivers make the playoffs as opposed to 16.
"The Xfinity approach and the Cup approach are obviously a little different," said Justin Haley, who will be racing in both events this weekend. "For the Xfinity race, the race plan comes from someone a lot larger than me within the team. We're gonna run the race however they want us to run it, and then, at the end, we'll see which one of us is in front."
Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Justin Haley back in Daytona
Haley drives the No. 11 Chevy full-time in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing, but will also race in Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 for Spire Motorsports.
It's a pairing that's worked in the past.
Haley won a Daytona summertime stunner in 2019, when he was also doing a one-off Cup race for Spire Motorsports.
Haley stayed out on the course while others pitted during a caution, which turned into a red flag because of lightning and then rain. The race was declared official an hour later, and Haley's No. 77 machine was wheeled to Victory Lane.
He'll be driving that same car Saturday.
"We have a really strong Hendrick engine that we lease, so I'm really looking forward to the Cup race."
Wawa 250 starting lineup
Haley must first navigate a strong Xfinity field Friday that includes AJ Allmendinger, who will start on the pole after winning last week's race at Michigan.
Like the Cup Series, the starting grid is determined using a formula that includes points position plus the finish and fastest lap from the most recently completed race.
Noah Gragson will join Allmendinger on the front row, followed by Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier and Harrison Burton.
Austin Cindric, the series' current points leader with five wins this season, will roll off 14th. Cindric opened the year with a win at Daytona back in February.
Green flag is set for 7:49 and the race is scheduled for 100 laps.
"This weekend's gonna be a lot of fun," said Haley, who won this race last season and will start ninth. "Daytona is obviously one of my favorite tracks, and racing under the lights is always a little bit cooler."
