NASCAR Daytona 500 entry list: which drivers are new, and how many cars will qualify?

THE Daytona 500 is in a month to open the 2025 NASCAR seasonbut questions remain over who will make up the 40-car field.

The Cup Series stars are all set to be at Daytona on February 16 run in the crown jewel of stock car racing to open the regular season, including defending Cup champion Joey Logano. Several stars will be vying for their first Daytona 500 victory, including Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson.

But former Cup champions Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. have yet to announce their plans for the Daytona 500, and there are questions about at least one chartered racing team.

Here’s what we know about the 2025 Daytona 500 entry list

Preliminary Daytona 500 entry list: who will try to qualify for NASCAR’s biggest race?

The official entry list won’t be released by NASCAR until February, but here’s what we know so far.

The initial list includes these full-time drivers as well as these other announced open and non-charter registrations:

1. Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing’s No. 1 Chevrolet
2. Austin Cindric, No. 2 of the Penske Ford team
3. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Motorsport Ford on the front row
5. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Keselowski Racing Ford Roush Fenway
7. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
11. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
12. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford No. 12
13. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
14. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
15. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
16. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
17. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
18. Joey Logano, #22 Team Penske Ford
19. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
20. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
21. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Motorsport Ford in front row 
22. Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota 23XI Racing
23. Zane Smith, No. 38 Motorsport Ford on the front row 
24. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Ford
25. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
26. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
27. JJ Yeley, #44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet (open, non-chartered)
28. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota 23XI Racing
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
30. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
31. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota #54
32. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
33. Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet (open, non-charter)
34. TBD, No. 66 MBM Motorsports Chevrolet (open, no rental)
35. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
36. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
37. BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet (open, non-charter)
38. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
39. Helio Castroneves, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (open, non-charter, OEP eligible)
40. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Who else could be added to the Daytona 500 entry list that hasn’t been announced? What about Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.?

There are a handful of possible entries as yet unannounced or undetermined, including:

• Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club have not yet announced that Johnson is attempting to qualify for the 500 in the No. 84 Chevrolet. If he does, Johnson will have to qualify by qualifying on time or placing in the duals like in 2024. Johnson confirmed he would race part-time during the season finale last November in Phoenix.
• Martin Truex Jr. is expected to compete in the race with a yet-to-be-determined racing team. Truex and former crew chief Cole Pearn will reunite for the Daytona 500, but the team they will compete for has not yet been announced. Just Monday, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation posted details on Instagram of an auction to secure a fan’s name to place on Truex’s 500 race car. All signs therefore point to a Truex-driven entry, although the details are not yet clear.
• Rick Ware Racing is leasing one of its two charters from RFK Racing for the full-time Ryan Preece No. 60 ride, but is still expected to use its other charter for a full-time entry. FOX Sports reported that Cody Ware was the favorite to join full-time, but no entry details were announced. RWR could also run a second car at Daytona, but that too has not been announced or clarified by the team.
• MBM Motorsports announced Monday that Mike Wallace will not be allowed to compete in the Daytona 500 and that the team is seeking a new sponsored driver. Wallace, 65, has not competed in a NASCAR national series race since a trio of road races in the Xfinity Series in 2020, and has not competed on a superspeedway track since 2015.

So fans can expect at least 43 entries for the Daytona 500, and maybe two or three more.

Daytona 500 Qualifying Format, Explained: How NASCAR Fills the Daytona 500 Field

Wednesday’s single-seater qualifying session

• Single-car qualifying on the Wednesday before the Daytona 500 places the front row.
• The two fastest open cars in qualifying will be included in the field, if they do not finish on top in Thursday’s head-to-head race.

Thursday’s 150-mile qualifying races

• Two 150-mile qualifying races will prepare the field for the Daytona 500 on Thursday, February 13. The first duel will determine the order of the inside lane behind the pole sitter, while the second duel will determine the order of the outside lane. (EG, winner of Duel #1 will start third, winner of Duel #2 will start fourth, etc.)
• The 36 charter teams are locked into the field, leaving four spots in the 40-car field for open entries. The highest ranked open car in each duel will enter the field. If the highest-placed car is one of the two that entered the field in time during Wednesday’s qualifying, the next highest-placed open car will enter the field.
• The added temporary open bye can add a 41st car to the field, with Helio Castroneves and No. 91 Trackhouse Racing being the only OEP-eligible team for the 500. Castroneves will be the 41st car in the field only if he does not does not qualify. on time or via duel races.