NASCAR: 2021 Daytona 500 entry list confirmed, 44 cars
By Asher Fair
The entry list for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway has been confirmed with 44 cars.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season is unofficially scheduled to get underway this evening with the Busch Clash exhibition race at the Daytona International Speedway road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney set to lead the field to the green flag following a random draw.
The 36-race season is officially scheduled to get underway this Sunday, February 14 with the 63rd annual Daytona 500 at the track’s four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked oval.
After months of speculation and driver confirmations, the entry list for this 200-lap race has been set.
There are 44 cars on the entry list for this race, which will ultimately feature 40 cars.
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There are 36 chartered entries which are locked into the 40-car field an eight additional entries which will battle for the remaining four open spots in the starting lineup in tomorrow night’s single-car qualifying session and Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels.
However, only 43 drivers have been confirmed. One of the eight non-chartered entries, the #66 MBM Motorsports Ford, does not have a confirmed driver listed, despite speculation that Timmy Hill would be back for a second attempt at the “Great American Race”. Hill is still expected to compete.
Without further ado, here’s a look at the 44 entries for the 63rd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
NOTE: “Full-time” / “Part-time” indicates the status of the driver.
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 Chevrolet – Cody Ware (full-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 Chevrolet – Derrike Cope (part-time)
- #52 Ford – Josh Bilicki (full-time)
- #53 Ford – Joey Gase (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 – Jamie McMurray (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 – Ty Dillon (part-time)
Kaulig Racing
- #16 Chevrolet – Kaz Grala (part-time)
JTG Daugherty Racing
- #37 Chevrolet – Ryan Preece (full-time)
MBM Motorsports
- #13 Ford – Garrett Smithley (part-time)
- #66 Ford – TBD (part-time)
Team Penske
- #33 Ford – Austin Cindric (part-time)
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Single-car qualifying and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels are both set to be broadcast live from Daytona International Speedway on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on their respective dates. The race itself is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.