DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Part of the allure of any race at Daytona International Speedway is the fact seemingly every race, at least one unheard-of driver makes their way inside the top 10.
Tonight, however, that underdog effect got cranked up a notch, with several drivers ending the night with career bests. Whether young or old, rookies or veterans, Daytona gave them love on Valentine’s Day while proving it’s the track of opportunity yet again.
What a start for the newly-named NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Rajah Caruth, Jordan Anderson, and Ryan Ellis all came within a well-timed move of winning the race during the closing laps. Although Austin Hill inevitably beat them to the line, they each had their own approach during the mad dash to the checkered flag.
For instance, Caruth leaned on the teachings of his team boss and one of the best restrictor plate racers in the sport’s history: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“I learned a lot,” Caruth said. “I was super thankful for the opportunity. We had some great power from the Hendrick engine shop… (Having Earnhardt as a coach) was cool. I didn’t realize it was him at first. It was fun. I just thought about all my years of sim racing, all my years of truck racing, and just kind of applying everything. It didn’t feel like a squirrel.”
While Caruth is still earning his stripes in the series, Anderson is regarded as a veteran presence, a driver-turned-team owner for what’s typically a mid-pack operation. He doesn’t get many chances to hop in a car these days, but he made the most of it Saturday (Feb. 14) and tied a career-high fourth-place finish in this division.
It nearly wound up much higher. Othe last lap, Anderson said that the seas parted, his eyes widened, and he took a different approach than Caruth, one that briefly left him second before losing momentum a bit coming off turn 4.
“I thought we were going to get all the way through (a blockade set by Justin Allgaier), but what a crazy race,” Anderson said. “I know things got crazy there on the backstretch, but when you’re coming to the checkered, you just don’t lift, and you try to make it all the way through… what a great example of what our team is capable of.”
Speaking of holding your foot to the floor, that’s exactly what sixth-place finisher Ryan Ellis did, coming home with a career-best finish in his 165th O’Reilly Series start. In fact, his foot pushed so hard those final laps that his leg was physically showing signs of falling apart on pit road after the race.
But you know what came together? His run to the front.
“My leg is still shaking,” Ellis said. “I don’t know what that’s from. I’m old, so maybe it’s cramping, but it doesn’t feel real. I know everybody says that, but I’m really happy… I felt like we stuck with our plan, and for my first race working with Frankie Kimmel (spotter) and Eddie Troconis (crew chief).
“We didn’t go to the [Rockingham] test [one many O’Reilly teams did], so we texted about three or four times this week, and didn’t have a lot to work off of from a notebook. It was badass, for the lack of a better way to put it.”
As far as the point standings go, both Caruth and Ellis got a leg up on where many predicted them to finish this year. Meanwhile, Anderson and the rest of his team showed their new RCR partnership is breathing fresh life into their effort.
Now, the trio will exit the race with fresh new expectations for 2026. And with another drafting track in EchoPark Speedway right around the bend next weekend in Atlanta, it’s an opportunity to build momentum and established themselves in a revamped O’Reilly Series for 2026.
Tanner Marlar is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated’s OnSI Network, a contributor for multiple automotive news outlets, an award-winning sports columnist and talk show host, and a PhD. student at a premier college of media and mass communication. Tanner began working with Frontstretch in 2022, covering the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.