NASCAR: Daytona 500 landing spot emerges for Martin Truex Jr.
By Asher Fair
Though he stepped away from full-time competition at the conclusion of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Martin Truex Jr. confirmed that he does plan to compete in NASCAR, including at the Cup level, from time to time moving forward.
It has long been confirmed that the 2017 Cup Series champion would be pursuing a ride for the 2025 season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway as he continues to attempt to win the "Great American Race" for the first time.
Cole Pearn, the crew chief with whom he won the 2017 championship at Furniture Row Racing, was even confirmed as his crew chief.
But a team for Truex still hasn't been confirmed.
Truex has indicated that Joe Gibbs Racing are effectively in charge of putting together his entry, though with four full-time entries, they are unable to add a fifth car.
Additionally, 23XI Racing, the three-car team with which Joe Gibbs' team has a technical alliance, have effectively been ruled out, even though they are still technically able to run a non-chartered (open) entry.
The only other Toyota team in the Cup Series is Legacy Motor Club, which run two cars on a full-time basis. They plan to add a third car for the Daytona 500 for team co-owner Jimmie Johnson, so adding a second non-chartered was always viewed as a stretch.
Now it has emerged that Toyota's Tricon Garage, one of the top teams in the Truck Series, could work with Joe Gibbs Racing to field an entry for Truex.
Because Truex's entry, whether it comes with Tricon Garage or not, is an open entry, he will not be locked into the race and will need to qualify either via the single-car qualifying session or one of the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races.
There are 36 chartered cars and thus 36 cars locked into the 40-car field, meaning that there are four spots available for open entries. There could be as many as 10 open cars on the entry list vying for those four spots.
The fastest two drivers (among the open entries) in the single-car qualifying session lock themselves into the race, and the highest finishers in the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races do the same. Should a driver (or two drivers) effectively lock in both ways, the next fastest driver (or two drivers) from the single-car qualifying session would lock in.
The single-car qualifying session for the 67th annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to take place at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, February 12, and the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races are scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 13 (7:00 p.m. ET on Fox). The main event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 16 (2:30 p.m. ET).