Super Start Batteries 188

The Super Start Batteries 188 was a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Daytona International Speedway infield road course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Originally created in 2020 as a temporary event in response to races canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the race returned in 2021 for the same reason.

Super Start Batteries 188
NASCAR Xfinity Series
VenueDaytona International Speedway
LocationDaytona Beach, Florida
Corporate sponsorO'Reilly Auto Parts
First race2020
Last race2021
Distance187.72 miles (302.11 km)
Laps52
Stages 1/2: 15 each
Final stage: 22
Previous namesUNOH 188 (2020)
Most wins (driver)Austin Cindric
Ty Gibbs
Most wins (team)Team Penske
Joe Gibbs Racing
Most wins (manufacturer)Ford
Toyota
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.61 mi (5.81 km)
Turns14

Ty Gibbs is the defending race winner. The race, along with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' BrakeBest Select 159, supports the NASCAR Cup Series' O'Reilly Auto Parts 253.

History
Cars file through the International Horseshoe on a restart in 2020

The Daytona road course, which uses elements of the 2.5 mi (4.0 km) speedway oval, is commonly used for the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race and Daytona 200 motorcycle race. In March 2020, NASCAR announced the NASCAR Cup Series' Busch Clash exhibition race would use the road course instead of the oval beginning in 2021.[1]

In July 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Zippo 200 at The Glen road course race at Watkins Glen International, which was planned for August, to be replaced by the temporary Daytona road course event due to New York's quarantine rules for out-of-state visitors.[2] While much of the road course layout remained the same as the sports car configuration, NASCAR added a chicane exiting the oval's turn four to allow cars to slow down entering the braking-heavy turn one.[3] Austin Cindric, driving for Team Penske, won the event's lightning-plagued inaugural running in 2020; it was Cindric's fifth win in six races.[4]

Although intended to be a temporary race, the UNOH 188 returned to the Xfinity Series schedule in 2021 after the originally-scheduled race weekend at Auto Club Speedway was canceled due to concerns related to COVID-19.[5][6] O'Reilly Auto Parts took over naming rights for the race weekend, naming the Xfinity event the Super Start Batteries 188.[7] Ty Gibbs won in his Xfinity Series debut, becoming the sixth driver in series history to do so and the series' youngest road course winner at 18 years, four months, and 16 days.[8]

Past winners
Year Day Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)		 Ref
Laps Miles (km)
2020 Saturday August 15 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 52 187.72 (302.106) 2:17:32 81.894 [9]
2021 Saturday February 20 54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 56* 202.16 (325.344) 2:35:05 78.213 [10]

Notes

Manufacturer wins
# Wins Make Years Won
1 United States Ford 2020
Japan Toyota 2021

See also

BrakeBest Select 159

References
  1. Cain, Holly (March 4, 2020). "NASCAR's season-opening Busch Clash moving to Daytona road course in 2021". NASCAR. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  2. Kelly, Godwin (August 14, 2020). "NASCAR Xfinity drivers buckle up for unpredictable Daytona Road Course". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  3. Crandall, Kelly (July 30, 2020). "NASCAR adds chicane for Daytona road course". Racer. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  4. Kelly, Godwin (August 15, 2020). "Austin Cindric wins NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona". Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  5. Estrada, Chris (December 8, 2020). "Schedule shuffle: Fontana races move to Daytona road course". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  6. "Daytona International Speedway Adds NASCAR Road Course Weekend in February". Jayski.com. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved January 15, 2021. The two realigned Auto Club NASCAR events – the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series – will take the green flag, respectively on Feb. 20-21.
  7. "O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 At DAYTONA Set for NASCAR Cup Series Race". Daytona International Speedway. February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  8. Cain, Holly (February 20, 2021). "Ty Gibbs wins on Daytona road course in Xfinity Series debut". Racer. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  9. "2020 UNOH 188". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  10. "2021 Super Start Batteries 188". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
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