Despite leasing out their second charter to RFK Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Rick Ware Racing still added a second car for the Daytona 500, among a few other races, a year ago.
Driving the No. 01 Ford, Corey LaJoie secured one of the four open spots in the 41-car field with an impressive drive from 17th to sixth place in his Duel race, locking him into the 12th starting position after having not been guaranteed any starting spot at all. He led 10 laps in the Daytona 500 itself and placed 22nd.
Rick Ware Racing, however, will not field a second car in this year's running of the Daytona 500. Cody Ware is still the full-time driver of the team's No. 51 car, which is now a Chevrolet following an offseason manufacturer switch and the start of a new technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.
Rick Ware Racing sticking with one car for 2026 Daytona 500
The No. 51 Chevrolet is a chartered car, so it is locked into the race. There are 37, not 36, cars locked into this year's 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Daytona International Speedway oval, as Legacy Motor Club's Jimmie Johnson and his No. 84 Toyota have been granted the Open Exemption Provisional.
As a result, Johnson is ineligible to take any one of the four open spots (two awarded via single-car qualifying speeds, two awarded via America 250 Florida Duel race results), meaning that the race is set to feature exactly 41 cars for only the second time since 1993.
There are expected to be eight cars battling for the four open spots already, and that's even with Johnson not being a part of that battle. This may have played a role in Rick Ware Racing's decision not to expand. Richard Childress Racing, which had been expected to field a third car, also no longer plan to do so.
LaJoie, meanwhile, is set to drive a fourth car for RFK Racing. The No. 99 Ford is one of the eight cars set to enter qualifying without a guaranteed starting spot.
The single-car qualifying session is set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 from Daytona International Speedway starting at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 11. The two America 250 Florida Duel races are set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 12. The 68th running of the "Great American Race" itself is set to be shown live on Fox beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 15. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now!