Three NASCAR Cup Series teams expanded by one car for the 2025 season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, and all three successfully locked their respective non-chartered (open) entries into the race.
Trackhouse Racing added the No. 91 Chevrolet for four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves as a part of their PROJECT91 program. While Castroneves technically didn't qualify for the race like the other drivers of open cars had to, he was able to fall back on a "world-class driver" provisional that he was issued by NASCAR.
Castroneves was taken out in an early wreck.
Legacy Motor Club added the No. 84 Toyota for team owner Jimmie Johnson, a two-time winner of the "Great American Race". Johnson started the race in 40th place and finished in third, his best result since winning it for the second time in 2013. Rick Ware Racing added the No. 01 Ford for Corey LaJoie, who qualified 12th and finished 22nd.
But two of those three teams are going back to running only their chartered cars in this coming Sunday afternoon's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Trackhouse Racing expanded from two full-time cars to three over the offseason after acquiring a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Ross Chastain drives the No. 1 Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez drives the No. 99 Chevrolet, and rookie Shane van Gisbergen drives the new No. 88 Chevrolet. Those three cars are the team's only three cars on this week's entry list.
Legacy Motor Club, on the other hand, did not make any changes to their driver lineup following the 2024 season. John Hunter Nemechek drives the No. 42 Toyota and Erik Jones drives the No. 43 Toyota. Those two cars are the team's only two cars on this week's entry list.
There are still three non-chartered cars on the entry list for this Sunday afternoon's 260-lap Ambetter Health 400 around the four-turn, 1.54-mile (2.478-kilometer) high-banked Hampton, Georgia oval.
NY Racing and Live Fast Motorsports, which both failed to qualify for the Daytona 500, have entered the No. 44 Chevrolet and the No. 78 Chevrolet for J.J. Yeley and B.J. McLeod, respectively.
Rick Ware Racing, whose chartered No. 51 Ford is driven full-time by Cody Ware, have once again entered the No. 01 Ford for LaJoie.
The Ambetter Health 400 is set to be shown live on Fox from Atlanta Motor Speedway starting at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, February 23. Fox is set to provide live coverage. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!