NASCAR: Early look at the 2021 Daytona 500 entry list
By Asher Fair
With just four weeks to go until the 63rd annual Daytona 500, let’s take another look at the early entry list for NASCAR’s greatest race.
The 63rd annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to take place four weeks from today, and the entry list for NASCAR‘s greatest race is already overflowing.
Once the single-car qualifying session and the ensuing Bluegreen Vacations Duels come and go, there are going to be quite a few drivers disappointed at not making it into the 40-car field.
With nearly a month to go until the race goes green, there are already 44 confirmed entries for this 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval in Daytona Beach, Florida.
With 36 chartered entries, this means that there will be at least eight drivers battling it out for the final four spots.
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We last looked at the way-too-early entry list for this race in mid-December when the race was exactly two months away, and much has changed since then, with the entry list exceeding 40 cars and not stopping there.
Plus, we have also confirmed that the “mystery” charter came as a result of the fact that JTG Daugherty Racing’s second full-time car will not actually have a charter this year like it has in past years.
With all of that in mind, let’s take another look at the entry list for the 63rd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
NOTE: “Full-time” / “Part-time” indicates the status of the driver (or likely driver, if not confirmed) for the race.
Chartered entries
23XI Racing
- #23 Toyota – Bubba Wallace (full-time)
Chip Ganassi Racing
- #1 Chevrolet – Kurt Busch (full-time)
- #42 Chevrolet – Ross Chastain (full-time)
Front Row Motorsports
- #34 Ford – Michael McDowell (full-time)
- #38 Ford – Anthony Alfredo (full-time)
Hendrick Motorsports
- #5 Chevrolet – Kyle Larson (full-time)
- #9 Chevrolet – Chase Elliott (full-time)
- #24 Chevrolet – William Byron (full-time)
- #48 Chevrolet – Alex Bowman (full-time)
JTG Daugherty Racing
- #47 Chevrolet – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (full-time)
Joe Gibbs Racing
- #11 Toyota – Denny Hamlin (full-time)
- #18 Toyota – Kyle Busch (full-time)
- #19 Toyota – Martin Truex Jr. (full-time)
- #20 Toyota – Christopher Bell (full-time)
Live Fast Motorsports
- #78 Ford – B.J. McLeod (full-time)
Petty Ware Racing
- #51 TBD – Joey Gase (part-time)
Richard Childress Racing
- #3 Chevrolet – Austin Dillon (full-time)
- #8 Chevrolet – Tyler Reddick (full-time)
Richard Petty Motorsports
- #43 Chevrolet – Erik Jones (full-time)
Rick Ware Racing
- #15 TBD – Driver TBD (part-time)
- #52 TBD – Driver TBD (part-time)
- #53 TBD – Driver TBD (part-time)
Roush Fenway Racing
- #6 Ford – Ryan Newman (full-time)
- #17 Ford – Chris Buescher (full-time)
Spire Motorsports
- #7 Chevrolet – Corey LaJoie (full-time)
- #77 Chevrolet – Driver TBD (part-time)
StarCom Racing
- #00 Chevrolet – Quin Houff (full-time)
Stewart-Haas Racing
- #4 Ford – Kevin Harvick (full-time)
- #10 Ford – Aric Almirola (full-time)
- #14 Ford – Chase Briscoe (full-time)
- #41 Ford – Cole Custer (full-time)
Team Penske
- #2 Ford – Brad Keselowski (full-time)
- #12 Ford – Ryan Blaney (full-time)
- #22 Ford – Joey Logano (full-time)
Trackhouse Racing Team
- #99 Chevrolet – Daniel Suarez (full-time)
Wood Brothers Racing
- #21 Ford – Matt DiBenedetto (full-time)
Non-chartered entries
Beard Motorsports
- #62 Chevrolet – Noah Gragson (part-time)
Front Row Motorsports
- #36 Ford – David Ragan (part-time)
Gaunt Brothers Racing
- #96 Toyota – Driver TBD (part-time)
Kaulig Racing
- #16 Chevrolet – Kaz Grala (part-time)
JTG Daugherty Racing
- #37 Chevrolet – Ryan Preece (full-time)
MBM Motorsports
- #TBD Ford – Chad Finchum (part-time)
- #66 Ford – Timmy Hill (TBD)
NY Racing Team
- #44 Chevrolet – Driver TBD (part-time)
It is unknown whether or not Team Penske, which are set to run a fourth car in select races for reigning Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric, will field a fourth car in this race, which would bring the entry list to 45 cars. Additionally, Tommy Baldwin Racing are still trying to field an entry.
It has, however, been confirmed that Go Fas Racing, which are set to run a part-time entry for Ryan Ellis, will not be competing in it.
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Single-car qualifying and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 11, respectively. Fox is set to broadcast the Daytona 500 itself live from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 14.