DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona 500 isn’t just the crown jewel of NASCAR’s Cup Series, it’s the annual reset button for drama, aerodynamics and the pure, unfiltered chaos that only superspeedway draft racing can deliver. In its 68th running on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, “The Great American Race” once again brings 41 hopefuls to Daytona International Speedway — 36 chartered starters locked in by ownership agreements, one guaranteed via NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provisional and an octet of open teams squaring off for four coveted spots in the 500-mile spectacle.
Qualifying unfolds like a chess match at 200 mph: single-car time trials set the front row and the starting order for the Duels, the pair of 60-lap qualifying races that will define positions 3 through 40 in Sunday’s grid. With the open cars battling through speed and race craft, this week’s on-track action could make or break several Cup Series campaigns before most teams even see Stage 1 of the 500.
2026 Daytona 500 Entry List (45 entries; 41 will start)
36 Chartered entries (locked in)
Chartered Entries (Locked into the race)
- #1 — Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
- #2 — Austin Cindric, Team Penske (Ford)
- #3 — Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
- #4 — Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
- #5 — Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #6 — Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing (Ford)
- #7 — Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #8 — Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
- #9 — Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #10 — Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
- #11 — Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
- #12 — Ryan Blaney, Team Penske (Ford)
- #16 — A.J. Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
- #17 — Chris Buescher, RFK Racing (Ford)
- #19 — Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
- #20 — Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
- #21 — Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
- #22 — Joey Logano, Team Penske (Ford)
- #23 — Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing (Toyota)
- #24 — William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #34 — Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
- #35 — Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing (Toyota)
- #36 — Chandler Smith (i), Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
- #38 — Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
- #41 — Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team (Chevrolet)
- #42 — John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Club (Toyota)
- #43 — Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club (Toyota)
- #45 — Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing (Toyota)
- #47 — Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #48 — Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #51 — Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing (Chevrolet)
- #54 — Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
- #60 — Ryan Preece, RFK Racing (Ford)
- #71 — Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #77 — Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet)
- #88 — Connor Zilisch (R), Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
- #97 — Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
Entries above reflect charter status — virtually all Cup regulars on the 2026 roster. Many confirmed; a handful noted as expected based on current team lineups and preseason reporting.
Open entries (competing for four spots in the 41-car field)
37. Jimmie Johnson (No. 84 Carvana Toyota) — guaranteed via Open Exemption Provisional (41st car)
38. Justin Allgaier (No. 40 Chevrolet, JR Motorsports) — Xfinity standout and former Cup top-10 threat
39. Chandler Smith (No. 36 Ford, Front Row Motorsports)
40. Anthony Alfredo (No. 62 Chevrolet, Beard Motorsports)
41. Casey Mears (No. 66 Ford, Garage 66/MBM)
42. Corey Heim (No. 67 Toyota, 23XI Racing) — reigning Truck Series champion pushing for Cup Superspeedway glory
43. B.J. McLeod (No. 78 Chevrolet, Live Fast Motorsports)
44. J.J. Yeley (No. 44 Chevrolet, NY Racing Team)
45. Corey LaJoie (No. 99 Ford, RFK Racing)
Note: Only four of the eight open entries above will make the Daytona 500 field via speed and Duel results.
Analytics and Arcs:
— Front-running favorites: Kyle Larson and William Byron give Hendrick Motorsports a dynamic one-two punch on superspeedway setups, each with proven restrictor-plate prowess and draft savvy. Larson’s Daytona resume marries patience with heat-shield grit; Byron’s 2025 Daytona 500 ride ended in victory lane, and the confidence boost from that triumph can’t be overstated.
— Pit road Roulette: Drafting packs come and go like trends on social media, but crew chief strategy here — tire pressure choices, timing of pit stops, lane choices off Turn 4 — can be the difference between a top-five Texas finish and a fiery exit into the Turn 3 wall.
— Open team dark horse: Justin Allgaier’s Cup experience may be limited compared to the full-time crew, but he’s got the wheel control and situational IQ to elevate a JR Motorsports Chevy into the field — and maybe beyond. If Heim’s 2025 Truck Series dominance translates to restrictor-plate races, he could outfox a few Cup regulars and steal a spot that pundits aren’t yet pricing in.
— The Johnson angle: The seven-time Cup champ and two-time Daytona winner is racing for all the glory and none of the points (or purse), courtesy of the Open Exemption Provisional that guarantees his presence but not his payday. At 50, Johnson’s experience trumps most, and don’t be shocked if he’s wheel-to-wheel with the leaders late in the race; Daytona loves a seasoned spoiler.
The Week Ahead: Duels, practice sessions and time trials will sort the contenders from the pretenders, but the fundamentals don’t change: superspeedway racing rewards patience, draft positioning and just enough aggression to survive a 200-lap brawl without getting clipped into oblivion. The stakes are as high as the banking at Daytona International Speedway — and on Feb. 15, only one driver will hoist the Harley J. Earl Trophy to close Speedweeks.
Bottom line: The 2026 Daytona 500’s entry list brims with Cup stalwarts, emerging threats and enough open-team hopefuls to make qualifying week must-see TV. Whether it’s horsepower, draft chemistry or a late-race call by a savvy crew chief, the first points race of the NASCAR season promises to deliver the chaos and spectacle that has made the Daytona 500 the most storied event in stock car racing.
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