NASCAR: Updated 2025 Daytona 500 entry list after late driver change
By Asher Fair
MBM Motorsports, which recently rebranded their NASCAR Cup Series team to Garage 66, announced that Chandler Smith is set to drive the No. 66 Ford during Speedweeks in an attempt to qualify for the 2025 season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
The plan had been for Mike Wallace to drive for the Carl Long-owned team, but NASCAR ruled that he is ineligible. The 65-year-old, who has not competed in a Cup Series race since 2015, was ruled to have not had sufficient recent experience in major motorsport competition.
The No. 66 Ford is officially the 44th car on the entry list for the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval. Cup Series fields are generally capped at 40 cars, but there could be a 41st in the "Great American Race", which will be touched on more below.
First, here are the 36 chartered entries, which are all locked into the event regardless of how they perform during the single-car qualifying session on Wednesday, February 12 and the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races on Thursday, February 13 (7:00 p.m. ET on Fox).
Chevrolet
Hendrick Motorsports
No. 5 - Kyle Larson
No. 9 - Chase Elliott
No. 24 - William Byron
No. 48 - Alex Bowman
Hyak Motorsports
No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kaulig Racing
No. 10 - Ty Dillon
No. 16 - A.J. Allmendinger
Richard Childress Racing
No. 3 - Austin Dillon
No. 8 - Kyle Busch
Spire Motorsports
No. 7 - Justin Haley
No. 71 - Michael McDowell
No. 77 - Carson Hocevar
Trackhouse Racing
No. 1 - Ross Chastain
No. 88 - Shane van Gisbergen
No. 99 - Daniel Suarez
Ford
Front Row Motorsports
No. 4 - Noah Gragson
No. 34 - Todd Gilliland
No. 38 - Zane Smith
Haas Factory Team
No. 41 - Cole Custer
RFK Racing
No. 6 - Brad Keselowski
No. 17 - Chris Buescher
No. 60 - Ryan Preece
Rick Ware Racing
No. 51 - Cody Ware
Team Penske
No. 2 - Austin Cindric
No. 12 - Ryan Blaney
No. 22 - Joey Logano
Wood Brothers Racing
No. 21 - Harrison Burton
Toyota
23XI Racing
No. 23 - Bubba Wallace
No. 35 - Riley Herbst
No. 45 - Tyler Reddick
Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 11 - Denny Hamlin
No. 19 - Chase Briscoe
No. 20 - Christopher Bell
No. 54 - Ty Gibbs
Legacy Motor Club
No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek
No. 43 - Erik Jones
Now let's have a look at the eight confirmed non-chartered (open) entries, of which only one is locked into the race.
Chevrolet
Beard Motorsports
No. 62 - Anthony Alfredo
Live Fast Motorsports
No. 78 - B.J. McLeod
JR Motorsports
No. 40 - Justin Allgaier
NY Racing Team
No. 44 - J.J. Yeley
Trackhouse Racing
No. 91 - Helio Castroneves
Ford
Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports)
No. 66 - Chandler Smith
Toyota
Legacy Motor Club
No. 84 - Jimmie Johnson
Tricon Garage
No. 56 - Martin Truex Jr.
Of these eight open entries, only Castroneves' No. 91 Chevrolet is locked into the race.
Two drivers are set to qualify on speed in the single-car qualifying session, and two more are set to qualify on race result in their respective Duel race. However, if Castroneves is not one of those four qualifiers, he is still set to be in the race, as he has been granted a "world-class driver" provisional which could ultimately result in the field expanding from 40 to 41 cars.
There could still be additional cars added to the entry list. The No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford is viewed as a strong possibility, and both the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and the No. 50 Team AmeriVet Chevrolet are possibilities well.
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The 67th annual Daytona 500 is set to be broadcast live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 16. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action from the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season opener!
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