NASCAR driver guaranteed to miss Daytona 500 after Trackhouse decision?

Trackhouse Racing confirmed the rumor that they are set to add a fourth car to their Daytona 500 roster for four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves this coming February.

Castroneves' No. 91 Chevrolet is one of five non-chartered (open) cars confirmed on the entry list for this 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval.

The other four are the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet for J.J. Yeley, the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet for Anthony Alfredo, the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford for Mike Wallace, and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet for B.J. McLeod.

Cup Series field sizes are said to be capped at 40, and there are 36 chartered cars locked into every race. There are now 41 cars on the entry list.

At first, this would appear to indicate that Castroneves is not locked into the race like his three full-time teammates are. But team co-owner Justin Marks knew the rules better than most, as NASCAR's new charter agreement contains a "world-class driver" provisional. Castroneves certainly qualifies.

So Castroneves is locked in regardless.

Drivers of open entries can qualify for the "Great American Race" in one of two ways. They can be one of the top two drivers (among open entries) on speed in the single-car qualifying session, or they can be one of the two drivers to lead their Bluegreen Vacations Duel race (among open entries) and lock in on race result.

Should somebody lock in twice, the remaining open spot (or spots) would be awarded to the next fastest driver (or drivers) from the single-car qualifying session.

Castroneves could still technically lock in by taking one of those four spots. But if he doesn't, the field would be expanded from 40 to 41 cars.

So all of the drivers currently on the entry list could compete in the Daytona 500, even with Cup Series field sizes generally capped at 40.

But if there are any further additions to the Daytona 500 entry list, somebody will fail to qualify for sure.

There could be as many as 10 open entries going for those open spots, as there are five potential additions that have not yet been confirmed.

Martin Truex Jr. is expected to drive a Toyota (presumably No. 56) for a Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated Tricon Garage team that has never competed in the Cup Series. Jimmie Johnson is once again expected to drive the No. 84 Toyota for the Legacy Motor Club team he co-owns.

There is a chance that Richard Childress Racing's part-time schedule for the No. 33 Chevrolet could include the Daytona 500. Rick Ware Racing's No. 15 Ford, which had been a chartered car up until the end of the 2024 season, could also make an appearance.

Then there is Team AmeriVet, the team formerly known as The Money Team Racing which made two appearances last season following the rebrand. Their No. 50 Chevrolet competed in the Daytona 500 in 2022 and 2023.

The Daytona 500's single-car qualifying session is scheduled to take place at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, February 12. The two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races are scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 13 (7:00 p.m. ET on Fox), and the main event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 16 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox).