The NextEra Energy 250 was the first race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season at Daytona International Speedway and as of 2004 has been held under the lights. It is the Truck Series event of Speedweeks – the series of races leading up to the Daytona 500. Winners of the event include Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, Robert Pressley, Rick Crawford, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, Mark Martin, Jack Sprague, Todd Bodine (twice), Timothy Peters, Michael Waltrip, John King, Johnny Sauter (three times), Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Kaz Grala, Austin Hill, and Zane Smith. The Truck Series does not run restrictor plates, devices used by the Xfinity and Cup stock cars to reduce horsepower and slow the cars down at Daytona and Talladega. However, a restrictor in the space, a "spacer plate", and aerodynamic disadvantages in the trucks compensate for the lack of a restrictor plate. Zane Smith was the 2022 and 2023 winner of the event. History The inaugural running of the race in 2000 featured one of the most horrific wrecks in NASCAR history. Just past the halfway point of the race, Kurt Busch's truck made contact with that of Rob Morgan, turning him into Geoff Bodine's truck, sending Bodine careening airborne into the wall and catch fence just past the start-finish line. Bodine's truck burst into flames and flipped at least 10 times before coming to a stop toward Turn 1, causing a major wreck involving 13 trucks. Despite having serious injuries, Bodine survived and raced again later that year in May at Richmond. Although this race was largely overshadowed by this wreck, it was truly exciting as Mike Wallace made the last lap pass on Andy Houston for the inaugural victory. In 2001, Joe Ruttman was the first driver to win the race from the pole position. He also won the pole the year before. Rookie Ricky Hendrick finished in second. Robert Pressley won the race in 2002 in his first Truck Series start. The 2003 race featured a three-wide finish on the final lap between Rick Crawford, defending Daytona winner Robert Pressley, and that year's eventual champion Travis Kvapil where the margin of victory was 0.027 seconds. In early 2004, it was announced that the race would move from Friday afternoon to Friday night and be run under the lights. Carl Edwards would go on to win the race and Travis Kvapil (in a Toyota) finished