Fresh From Florida 250
| Company type | NASCAR race event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Daytona Beach, Florida , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Corey Heim (2025 winner) |
| Products | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race |
The Fresh From Florida 250 serves as the inaugural event of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, hosted annually at Daytona International Speedway. Since 2004, this race has been contested under nighttime conditions during Speedweeks, acting as a prelude to the prestigious Daytona 500.
Prominent victors encompass renowned competitors such as Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, Robert Pressley, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, Mark Martin, and the three-time champion Johnny Sauter. The latest winner is Corey Heim (2025).
In contrast to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Truck Series manages speed on superspeedways not with restrictor plates but through a combination of "spacer plates" and aerodynamic design elements.
History
The first edition in 2000 was marked by a major multi-vehicle collision involving Kurt Busch and Geoff Bodine, both of whom escaped severe injuries. Mike Wallace captured the inaugural win by overtaking Andy Houston on the final lap.
In 2001, Joe Ruttman became the first driver to claim victory starting from pole position, with rookie Ricky Hendrick finishing as runner-up. The 2002 race saw Robert Pressley triumph in his debut Truck Series appearance. The 2003 running featured an intense three-wide finish, where Rick Crawford edged out defending champion Robert Pressley and future series champion Travis Kvapil.
Beginning in 2004, the event transitioned to a night race, highlighted by Carl Edwards securing Toyota’s first win as a manufacturer in the series. Bobby Hamilton’s 2005 victory was notable for coming from a record-low 36th starting spot amid confusion caused by a late caution affecting the finish order.
Jack Sprague’s tight win from pole in 2007 added another exciting chapter to the race’s history. The event gained long-term title sponsorship from NextEra Energy Resources starting in 2009, coinciding with Camping World’s series sponsorship; that year Todd Bodine became the first driver to win consecutive Daytona season openers.
Michael Waltrip’s victory in 2011 was significant as it coincided with the tenth anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s passing. Waltrip became the 22nd driver to win across NASCAR’s top three national divisions. Although penalized post-race for a spoiler infraction, he retained his win since he was not competing for Truck Series points.
More recent champions have included emerging talents like Kaz Grala (2017) and Austin Hill (2019). The 2020 edition produced one of the closest finishes in history, with Grant Enfinger winning by just 0.010 seconds. Meanwhile, Natalie Decker set a new milestone as the highest-placing female competitor ever in this event.
Weather has occasionally impacted the race, notably in 2023 when rain shortened it after only 79 laps, awarding Zane Smith a consecutive victory—making him only the second driver after Todd Bodine to achieve back-to-back wins here.
In 2024, Fresh From Florida—a program by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services—assumed title sponsorship, ending NextEra Energy Resources’ 15-year association with the race.
Past winners
| Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race distance | Race time | Average speed (mph) |
Ref | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | February 18 | 2 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 1:55:00 | 130.152 | |||||||||||
| 2001 | February 16 | 18 | Joe Ruttman | Bobby Hamilton Racing | Dodge | 104* | 260 (418.429) | 2:00:33 | 129.407 | |||||||||||
| 2002 | February 15 | 18 | Robert Pressley | Bobby Hamilton Racing | Dodge | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 1:47:03 | 140.121 | |||||||||||
| 2003 | February 14 | 14 | Rick Crawford | Circle Bar Racing | Ford | 106* | 265 (426.476) | 2:04:34 | 127.642 | |||||||||||
| 2004 | February 13 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 2:13:15 | 112.57 | |||||||||||
| 2005 | February 18 | 04 | Bobby Hamilton | Bobby Hamilton Racing | Dodge | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 2:00:04 | 124.931 | |||||||||||
| 2006 | February 17 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 102* | 255 (410.382) | 1:44:21* | 146.622* | |||||||||||
| 2007 | February 16 | 60 | Jack Sprague | Wyler Racing | Toyota | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 2:07:24 | 117.739 | |||||||||||
| 2008 | February 15 | 30 | Todd Bodine | Germain Racing | Toyota | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 1:57:36 | 127.551 | |||||||||||
| 2009 | February 13 | 30 | Todd Bodine | Germain Racing | Toyota | 100 | 250 (402.336) | 2:02:11 | 122.766 | |||||||||||
| 2010 | February 13* | "17" | Timothy Peters | Red Horse Racing | Toyota | "100" | "250 (402.336)" | "2:10:06" | "115.295" | |||||||||||
| 2011 | February 18 | align=center|"15" | Michael Waltrip | Billy Ballew Motorsports | Toyota | style=text-align:center;|"103*" | style=text-align:center;|"257.5 (414.406)" | style=text-align:center;|"1:58:33" | 130.025 | |||||||||||
| 2012 | February 24 | align=center|"7" | John King | Red Horse Racing | Toyota | style=text-align:center;|"109*" | style=text-align:center;|"272.5 (438.546)" | style=text-align:center;|"2:17:13" | 119.169 | |||||||||||
| 2013 | February 22 | align=center|"98" | Johnny Sauter | ThorSport Racing | Toyota | style=text-align:center;|"100" | style=text-align:center;|"250 (402.336)" | style=text-align:center;|"1:45:56" | 141.598 | |||||||||||
| 2014 | February 21 | align=center|"51" | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Toyota | style=text-align:center;|"100" | style=text-align:center;|"250 (402.336)" | style=text-align:center;|"1:45:10" | 142.631 | |||||||||||
| 2015 | February 20 | align=center|"19" | Tyler Reddick | Brad Keselowski Racing | Ford | style=text-align:center;|"100" | style=text_align_center:"250 (402.336)" | style:text_align_center:"1:56:45" | 128.48 | |||||||||||
| 2016 | February 19 | align=center|"21" | Johnny Sauter | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | style=text_align_center:"100" | style:text_align_center:"250 (402.336)" | style:text_align_center:"1:56:15" | 129.032 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | February 24 | align=center|"33" | Kaz Grala | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | style=text_align_center:"100" | style:text_align_center:"250 (402.336)" | style:text_align_center:"1:55:38" | 129.72 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | February 16 | align=center|"21" | Johnny Sauter | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | style=text_align_center:"100" | style:text_align_center:"250 (402.336)" | style:text_align_center:"2:04:36" | 120.385 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | February 15 | align=center|"16" | Austin Hill | Hattori Racing Enterprises | Toyota | style=text_align_center:"111*" | style:text_align_center:"277.5 (446.593)" | style:text_align_center:"2:39:20" | 104.498 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | February 14 | "98" | Grant Enfinger | ThorSport Racing | Ford | style:text_align_center:"106*" | style:text_align_center:"265 (426.476)" | style:text_align_center:"2:04:53" | 127.319 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | February 12 | "99" | Ben Rhodes | ThorSport Racing | Toyota | style:text_align_center:"101*" | style:text_align_center:"252.5 (406.359)" | style:text_align_center:"2:20:33" | 107.791 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | February 18 | "38" | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | style:text_align_center:"106*" | style:text_align_center:"265 (426.476)" | style:text_align_center:"2:03:07" | 129.146 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | February 17 | "38" | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | style:text_align_center:"79*" | style:text_align_center:"197.5 (317.845)" | style:text_align_center:"2:09:23" | 115.935 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | February 16 | "2" | Nick Sanchez | Rev Racing | Chevrolet | style:text_align_center:"101*" | style:text_align_center:"252.5 (406.359)" | style:text_align_center:"2:33:08" | 98.933 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | February 14 | "11" | Corey Heim | Tricon Garage | Toyota | style:text_align_center:"100" | style:text_align_center:"250 (402.336)" | style:text_align_center:"2:09:07" | 116.174 | |||||||||||
- Notes:: Multiple editions were extended due to NASCAR Overtime finishes, including races from years such as 2001, 2003, and continuing through to the current season with some requiring several attempts for completion.
- 2005:: Following a review after a late caution, Bobby Hamilton was officially declared winner overturning initial results.
- 2006:: Despite an overtime finish, records were set for both fastest race time and highest average speed.
- 2010:: The race was postponed because of rainfall.
- 2023:: Rain forced an early conclusion after only part of the scheduled laps.
- 2025:: Corey Heim earned victory following Parker Kligerman’s disqualification during post-race technical inspection.
This compilation underscores dominant manufacturers including Toyota, Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet alongside leading teams such as ThorSport Racing, GMS Racing, and Red Horse Racing—demonstrating their strategic focus on excelling within NASCAR's Truck Series competitive landscape.
Drivers with multiple victories
| Number of wins | Driver | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Johnny Sauter | 2013, 2016, 2018 |
| 2 | Todd Bodine | 2008, 2009 |
| Zane Smith | 2022, 2023 |
Teams with multiple championships
| Number of wins | Team | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | GMS Racing | 2016–2018 |
| Bobby Hamilton Racing | 2001, 2002, 2005 | |
| ThorSport Racing | 2013, 2020, 2021 | |
| 2 | Roush Racing | 2004, 2006 |
| Germain Racing | 2008, 2009 | |
| Red Horse Racing | 2010, 2012 | |
| Front Row Motorsports | 2022, 2023 |
Wins by manufacturer
| Total victories | Manufacturer | Years of victory |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Toyota | 2007–2014, 2019, 2021, 2025 |
| 8 | Ford | 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023 |
| 4 | Chevrolet | 2016–2018, 2024 |
| 3 | Dodge | 2001, 2002, 2005 |