NASCAR: Several drivers set to miss the 2025 Daytona 500

NASCAR Cup Series races are capped at 40 cars, and 36 cars are locked in each weekend due to the charter system. That 36 does indeed appear set to remain in place for 2025, given the recent rulings in favor of three-car teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports after there were indications that they could be forced to run as open (non-chartered) teams next year.

That leaves four open spots in each race. While this usually isn't a problem for teams seeking to compete, given the fact that there are rarely more than four open cars on the entry list, the Daytona 500 is always a draw when it comes to part-time teams competing and full-time teams seeking to add entries.

There are officially three teams planning to attempt to qualify for the 67th running of the "Great American Race" in February with non-chartered cars thus far.

MBM Motorsports plan to run the No. 66 Ford while NY Racing Team plan to run the No. 44 Chevrolet and Live Fast Motorsports plan to run the No. 78 Chevrolet for team co-owner B.J. McLeod.

More Daytona 500 entries on the way; all open teams at risk

With a month and a half to land two more entries, it is highly likely that somebody – likely more than one somebody – will once again be left on the outside looking in.

Jayski is reporting that there could be as many as 10 cars going for those four open spots, meaning that there would be 46 cars on the entry list ahead of the 40-car event.

In addition to the three aforementioned entries, it looks like Legacy Motor Club will once again enter the No. 84 Toyota for team co-owner Jimmie Johnson and that Beard Motorsports will once again enter the No. 62 Chevrolet. Even if only those two cars are added, somebody would fail to qualify.

The other five potential entries included are the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford, which had been a chartered entry in past years, the No. 50 Team AmeriVet Chevrolet, a Toyota entry (team TBD) for Martin Truex Jr., and an entry for four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who has long discussed the possibility of competing in the Daytona 500.

Daytona 500 qualifying is unique, as two drivers lock in on speed in the single-car qualifying session and then two lock in based on their results in the Duel qualifying races. Should a driver effectively lock in twice, the next fastest driver from the single-car session would make it in, even if he did not initially lock in on speed.

2025 Daytona 500 qualifying is scheduled to take place 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, Fox). The 67th annual "Great American Race" itself is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 16 (2:30 p.m. ET, Fox).