Fresh From Florida 250

Feb 15Daytona International Speedway100 Laps

RACE RECAP

Corey Heim delivered a commanding performance in the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway, converting a 3rd-place starting position into a trip to victory lane. The No. 11 led 2 laps on the day and scored 64.2 fantasy points. The margin of victory was Caution.

Giovanni Ruggiero (No. 17) finished second after starting 34th โ€” an impressive climb of 32 positions, while Ty Majeski (No. 98) completed the podium in third. The stage battles added another layer of intrigue: Ben Rhodes captured Stage 1. The race featured 30 lead changes among 12 drivers โ€” Chandler Smith led a race-high 34 laps but couldn't convert track dominance into the victory. The drafting chess match played out across the high-banked oval, with positions shuffling constantly through the pack.

The biggest mover of the race was Giovanni Ruggiero (No. 17), who charged from 34th to 2nd โ€” a gain of 32 positions that made the No. 17 one of the top fantasy value plays. Timmy Hill also impressed, climbing from 33rd to 11th.

The race wasn't without drama โ€” 5 drivers failed to finish. Rajah Caruth (started 13th) was collected in an accident after completing 82 laps, and Clay Greenfield (started 9th) was collected in an accident after completing 68 laps. From a fantasy perspective, Corey Heim led all scorers with 64.2 points, followed by Chandler Smith (48.4) and Ty Majeski (46).

BY THE NUMBERS

30
Lead Changes
12
Leaders
8/33
Cautions / Laps
5
DNFs
4,254
Green Flag Passes
Caution
Margin of Victory
116.174
Avg MPH
2:09:07
Race Time
33.0%
Under Caution
7.4
Avg Green Run (Laps)
Stage Winners
S1Ben Rhodes
Lap Leaders
#38Smith34laps
#99Rhodes23laps
#17Ruggiero11laps
#88Crafton9laps
#9Enfinger7laps
#19Hemric7laps
#15Gray2laps
#7Haley2laps
#75Kligerman2laps
#11Heim2laps
#07McDowell1laps
#2Reaume1laps
Caution Breakdown
1L5โ€“95L#45, 38 Incident Frontstretch
2L17โ€“193L#5, 17 Incident Frontstretch
3L22โ€“254LStage 1 ConclusionLD #88
4L42โ€“454LStage 2 ConclusionLD #6
5L50โ€“556L#26 Spin Turn 1LD #5
6L71โ€“755L#95 Incident FrontstretchLD #6
7L84โ€“885L#02, 07, 5, 71, 88, 91, 99 Incident BackstretchLD #9
8L100โ€“1001L#34, 15, 19, 7, 13, 44, 38 Incident Turn 4

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Corey Heim won the Fresh From Florida 250 from 3rd, leading 2 laps and scoring 64.2 fantasy points โ€” the highest of the field.
02Giovanni Ruggiero was the top mover, climbing 32 positions from 34th to 2nd โ€” the kind of place differential that wins fantasy weeks.
03Chandler Smith led a race-high 34 laps but could only manage a 6th-place finish โ€” a reminder that leading laps doesn't always translate to wins.
045 drivers failed to finish, including Rajah Caruth (started 13th, out with accident) and Clay Greenfield (started 9th, out with accident). These DNFs turned promising fantasy starts into busts.
05The race saw 8 cautions for 33 laps and 30 lead changes among 12 drivers at an average speed of 116.174 mph.
06Giovanni Ruggiero quietly put together one of the best drives of the day, climbing from 34th to finish runner-up with 37.1 fantasy points.

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary
$0/50
Avg Finish
P6.8
Total Points
372.43
GroupDriverSalaryFinishPts
A
Car #11
Corey Heim
$01
128.40
2 ร— 64.20
B
Car #38
Chandler Smith
$06
84.70
1.75 ร— 48.40
C
Car #98
Ty Majeski
$03
69.00
1.5 ร— 46.00
D
Car #9
Grant Enfinger
$04
52.13
1.25 ร— 41.70
E
Car #99
Ben Rhodes
$020
38.20
1 ร— 38.20