This week has been a big one in terms of Daytona 500 entry list confirmations for next month's 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
RFK Racing surprised fans by confirming that they are set to enter a fourth car, the No. 99 Ford, for fan-favorite Corey LaJoie, while Beard Motorsports made the long-expected confirmation that they are set to run the No. 62 Chevrolet for Anthony Alfredo for the third year in a row.
The announcements push the entry list to 41 cars, and these two are among the four non-chartered (open) entries confirmed to be vying for the final four spots in what is set to be a 41-car field, since a fifth open entry has been granted the Open Exemption Provisional.
Jimmie Johnson and his No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota are locked into the race, with the provisional effectively making the No. 84 car a 37th chartered entry for the purpose of being guaranteed a starting spot. As a result, he is ineligible for any of the four open spots, ensuring that the race is set to see exactly 41 cars for just the second time since 1993.
Two of the four open spots are set to be awarded via the single-car qualifying speeds, and the other two are set to be awarded via the America 250 Florida Duel race results.
3 possible additions to the 2026 Daytona 500 entry list
Aside from the No. 99 Ford and the No. 62 Chevrolet, the confirmed open entries thus far include the No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Justin Allgaier, and the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, which is set to be driven by Casey Mears.
The three expected additions include the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet for J.J. Yeley, the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota for Corey Heim, and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet for B.J. McLeod.
Depending on who you ask, the No. 78 car has actually already been confirmed, but the team have yet to make the official announcement, so we're including that car here.
Trackhouse Racing will not field a fourth car this year, and Rick Ware Racing won't field a second. Tricon Garage will also not return for a second Daytona 500 attempt next month, and Team AmeriVet will not return for their first Daytona 500 attempt since 2023. Richard Childress Racing, which had been rumored to expand to three cars for the first time since 2019, now have no plans to do so.
All things considered, expect there to be seven cars battling for the four open spots, meaning that three drivers will ultimately fail to qualify.
Fox Sports 1 is set to provide live coverage of Daytona 500 qualifying from Daytona International Speedway starting at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 11, and it is also set to carry live coverage of the America 250 Florida Duel races starting at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 12. Fox is set to provide live coverage of the Daytona 500 itself beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 15. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action!