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The season's first NASCAR Xfinity Series race got postponed as the unfavorable weather conditions were too severe to let the stock cars run on the ovals.
Initially scheduled to flag off on Saturday, 5 PM ET, the qualifying session at the Daytona International Speedway ended with just a single round of time testing. The persistent rain didn't allow the officials to give a green flag, and eventually, the session was called off.
Sunday was no better. Due to the dark skies and a high probability of severe weather, the officials didn't let the cars race. They decided to shift the United Rentals 300 schedule to Monday, at 11 AM ET. The race will broadcast on Fox Sports 1, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR managed to scoop out one round of Xfinity Series qualifying, and Richard Childress Racing's debutant, Jesse Love, clinched the P1 spot for the main race as he clocked the highest average lap speed at 181.079 mph.
The 19-year-old rookie's #2 Chevrolet will be accompanied by his teammate, Austin Hill, who secured an average speed of 181.068 mph, and will start his Daytona run from P2, meaning that the front row is locked by the RCR drivers.
Meanwhile, A.J. Allmendinger will start his 300-mile run at P3, followed by Parker Kligerman at P4, and Shane van Gisbergen at P5.
Jesse Love opens up on his NASCAR season opener Daytona feat
Jesse Love is no stranger to the stock car racing scene. Being the youngest winner in the ARCA Menards Series West, and the youngest driver to compete at NASCAR warranted events, the rookie entered as a hot prospect for RCR in the Xfinity Series.
During the only round of qualifying sessions at the Daytona, Love accelerated his #2 Chevrolet to register the fastest time, securing the top spot for the 300-mile race, now scheduled for Monday.
Unfurling his feelings after tasting success at the biggest racetrack on the stock car racing calendar, Jesse Love said (via motorsport.com):
“Thank you to ECR. We got big steam under the hood. Our RCR cars and just bad-fast here – all superspeedways in fact. I’m just super-grateful for the opportunity and I’m really blessed to be in this position.”
