Subway Jalapeño 250

The Subway Jalapeño 250 Powered by Coca-Cola is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place under the lights at Daytona International Speedway. It is held the night before the Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 on Independence Day weekend in early July since 2002. Its scheduled distance is 250 miles (400 km) — only one Nationwide oval race held at a track longer than 1 mile (1.6 km) is shorter than 300 miles (480 km), the Carfax 250.

This is the final restrictor plate race of held each season for the Nationwide Series. Until 2006 there had been a different winner in each race. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the first repeat winner when he won the 2006 event.

Three of the first five times the race was run, the winning car was car #8 (Earnhardt, Jr.- 2 wins, Martin Truex, Jr.- 1 win).

The 2010 running of the event marked the first of four races using the Nationwide Series version of the Car of Tomorrow, other three being at Michigan, Richmond (September), Charlotte (October).

Past winners

• 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, & 2010: Race extended due to a Green-white-checker finish.
• 2007: Race postponed from Friday night to Saturday morning due to rain and extended to 102 laps / 255 miles due to a Green-white-checker finish.

Notable Moments

• 2003: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. led all 100 laps en route to victory.

• 2004: First race in which the cars ran a roof spoiler. The last 10 laps involved several lead changes. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took the lead with 10 laps to go. With 3 laps remaining, Michael Waltrip and Jason Leffler passed Dale Jr., putting Waltrip in the lead. Leffler then went for the lead and the two cars raced nose-to-nose for over a lap before Waltrip cut in front of Leffler off Turn Two on the final lap; Leffler hit Waltrip and Waltrip's car spun into the inside wall. NASCAR kept the green flag out (there is often a caution flag when a crash occurs) as Dale challenged Leffler for the lead. Leffler swerved and Dale crashed into the wall in Turn Four, allowing Mike Wallace to pass everyone for the victory.

• 2011: With the new two-car tandem draft in effect, Kevin Harvick Incorporated swept the top four positions in qualifying. The lead frequently changed hands between Cup drivers Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer and Nationwide regulars Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Trevor Bayne, and part-timer Danica Patrick. Eric McClure notably hit the outside wall head-on after being tapped by teammate Mike Bliss, requiring a trip to the hospital. At the end of the race, a multi-car pileup ensued when Patrick made contact with Mike Wallace, enabling Joey Logano and Kyle Busch to slip by and finish 1-2

References