There are nine non-chartered (open) cars on the entry list for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, following the confirmation that Rick Ware Racing plan to field the No. 01 Ford for Corey LaJoie.
Cup Series races are generally capped at 40 cars, but there can potentially be 41 cars competing in this year's running of the 200-lap "Great American Race" at the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval, since one driver of an open car was granted a "world-class driver" provisional.
Like the 36 drivers who drive chartered cars, Trackhouse Racing's Helio Castroneves is locked into the race, even as a driver of an open entry. He can still be one of the four drivers who qualifies his open car, but if he isn't, then the No. 91 Chevrolet would become the race's 41st car.
The fastest two drivers (among open cars) in the single-car qualifying session make the field, as do the top finishers (among open cars) in the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races. If someone locks in both ways, the next fastest driver from the single-car session would get a spot.
With Castroneves locked in, that means there are effectively eight drivers going for either three or four spots. Either way, at least four drivers on the entry list will not get to compete in the main event. Who is most at risk of missing out?
1. Chandler Smith, Garage 66
Garage 66, which recently rebranded from MBM Motorsports, do not have a great recent record at Daytona International Speedway. They have not competed in the Daytona 500 since 2020 and are 0-for-4 since. They entered two cars which failed to qualify in 2021, and in 2022, their two cars were the only two that failed to qualify. They have not been back since.
As for Chandler Smith himself, he failed to qualify in 2023 for a much more competitive Kaulig Racing team. It is going to take everything to go right for the driver of the No. 66 Ford to even have a remote chance of getting into the race.
2. B.J. McLeod, Live Fast Motorsports
The 2024 Daytona 500 marked Live Fast Motorsports' first ever race without a charter, and like most fans sort of expected, B.J. McLeod was one of the two drivers who failed to qualify, even after a semi-competitive showing in his Duel race.
Now with even more drivers going for the four open spots, his odds of getting into the race are even longer. Barring a miracle, I just can't see it for the No. 78 Chevrolet this year, either.
3. J.J. Yeley, NY Racing Team
J.J. Yeley was the other driver who failed to qualify for last year's Daytona 500, though he nearly pulled off the upset by racing his way in via his Duel race.
Yeley did make additional starts later in the year for NY Racing Team. But driving for a team that had only previously made six total Cup Series starts since 2015, there was nothing, at least not speed-wise, to suggest that it will take anything less than a massive pile-up in his Duel race for him to get into the 67th running of the Daytona 500.
4. Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club
Including Jimmie Johnson on this list may be considered somewhat of a surprise, but it is, quite frankly, where the seven-time champion belongs at this point. After not qualifying on speed a year ago, he needed to pass J.J. Yeley on the final lap of his Duel race last year just to get into the race.
This year, the competition is set to be much, much stiffer than an NY Racing Team which, at the time, hadn't competed in the Cup Series in nearly two years. And Johnson's return to the Cup Series has still not produced a top 25 finish.
5. Anthony Alfredo, Beard Motorsports
With only two drivers qualifying on speed and both Duel races usually being complete crapshoots where anything and everything typically tends to happen, this one was tough, but I had to go with Anthony Alfredo.
Alfredo did successfully qualify for the race on speed last year with Beard Motorsports, but doing so this year will be a much tougher task. Plus, the No. 62 Chevrolet hasn't gotten into the Daytona 500 in back-to-back years since 2019 and 2020.
As for the other three candidates, Corey LaJoie's superspeedway record is strong if he ends up needing to race his way in, and I find it specifically hard to bet against Justin Allgaier and Martin Truex Jr., given the resources their respective teams (JR Motorsports and Tricon Garage, with Joe Gibbs Racing support) have at their disposal to go fast on qualifying day.
And of course, the drivers both have pretty strong resumes themselves, too.
Fox Sports 1 is set to air single-car qualifying live starting at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 12. Fox Sports 1 is then set to air the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races live starting at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 13. And of course, Fox is set to air the Daytona 500 itself live starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 16. Start a free trial of FuboTV and catch all of the action from the "World Center of Racing"!