NASCAR O'Reilly Series Chase field set after Daytona

The 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase field is set following Friday's Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway. 

After William Sawalich and Brent Crews crashed out of the race early, Taylor Gray and Rajah Caruth jumped from the outside looking in into the top-12 in the standings to claim the final two Chase spots. Parker Retzlaff and Sam Mayer also clinched Chase berths on Friday. 

Here's what the points standings look like ahead of the nine-race postseason, which begins at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 5. 

1. Justin Allgaier (+25)

Allgaier already had the No. 1 Chase seed clinched ahead of Friday. He finished sixth at Daytona and is far and away the championship favorite as he seeks a second title. 

2. Carson Kvapil (-25)

Kvapil nearly scored a third straight win on Friday but came up just shy, finishing third, only 0.159 seconds behind race winner Ryan Sieg. He has plenty of momentum behind him going into the Chase, as well as the assurance of a ride with JR Motorsports in 2027. 

3. Sheldon Creed (-35)

Creed has one win to his credit this season, but he's been incredibly consistent with 16 top-10 finishes. If he can get to victory lane a time or two over the next eight races, he'll likely have a shot at the championship come Homestead. 

4. Jesse Love (-40)

The defending O'Reilly Series champion is going Cup racing with the Wood Brothers next year, but will first try and defend his title. Amazingly, Love is yet to visit victory lane this season. It'd be surprising if that was the case in November, but he'll still likely be in championship contention even if a win doesn't come. 

5. Austin Hill (-45)

Hill just missed out on his second win of the season on Friday at Daytona, but he's still in a solid spot as far as the standings go. Talladega is the Chase race circled on the calendar for Hill, but keep an eye on him at Martinsville as well. 

6. Brandon Jones (-50)

Like Kvapil, Jones has the security of a contract extension to boost his mood heading into the Chase. He won at Chicagoland on July 4 and will need a similar performance or two to keep up with the top-level contenders. 

7. Corey Day (-55)

Day might be a dark-horse title pick. He's won twice this season at Talladega and Dover and has shown race-winning speed often. He is, however, a rookie and will need to mitigate major mistakes to stay in contention. 

8. Sammy Smith (-60)

It's hard to think that Smith, who only has 10 top-10s all year, will be a title threat in the Chase. But he is racing a job, as he won't return to JR Motorsports in 2027. 

9. Parker Retzlaff (-65)

Retzlaff and the No. 99 Viking Motorsports group have punched above their weight all year. Finishing top 10 in the standings would be huge for a small organization and a driver in Retzlaff, who is trying to prove himself to bigger teams. 

10. Sam Mayer (-70)

Like Day, Mayer may also be a dark horse. He's yet to win this season but can get hot at any moment and has a history of clutch performances in the postseason. 

11. Taylor Gray (-75)

Gray has had speed for most of the season, but the No. 54 team has struggled with inconsistency. If he can execute nine clean races, he could go on a surprising Chase run. 

12. Rajah Caruth (-80)

It remains to be seen if Caruth can put together a good enough stretch to find his way in title contention, but his first career win seems to be imminent. Keep an eye on the No. 88, especially at Talladega, as Caruth looks for his first NOAPS victory.