Every open entry fighting to qualify for the 2026 Daytona 500

For some, their Daytona 500 dream will end on Thursday night at the end of the Daytona Duel races. Along with the 36 chartered entries that are guaranteed a spot in the race, nine open entries have also entered the Daytona 500 – bringing the entry list to 45 cars.

The problem is that there are only 41 spots available on the grid for NASCAR’s biggest race. Through time trials on Wednesday and the heat races on Thursday, eight drivers will be vying for the final four spots on the grid, while Jimmie Johnson in a ninth open entry will take a special provisional to ensure his place in the field.

But who are these Daytona 500 hopefuls? 

Here’s a detailed look at each of the open entries, four of which will not be taking part in the 68th running of ‘The Great American Race’ at Daytona International Speedway on February 15:

Justin Allgaier – No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

The team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back for another run at the Daytona 500. JR Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS), but last year, they entered the 500 for the first time as an open entry. 2024 NOAPS champion Justin Allgaier was making his first 500 attempt in a decade, but qualified the car on speed, and went on to snag a top-ten finish in the race. With a Hendrick engine under the hood, are an early favorite to make the 500 again.

Corey LaJoie – No. 99 RFK Racing Ford

Corey LaJoie, RFK Racing Ford

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

LaJoie is a solid superspeedway racer, and he will have the backing of a team that has won this race twice before. Another strong candidate to make the field, LaJoie made the show in 2025 with Rick Ware Racing, which has far fewer resources than RFK. He also went on to contend for the win, and crashed from inside the top-five on the final lap of the race. If he makes the show, this will be LaJoie’s tenth consecutive start in NASCAR’s crown jewel event, where he has finished as high as fourth. He will also have three locked-in teammates to rely on, which will help him tremendously in the Duels.

Corey Heim – No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota

Corey Heim, Toyota

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Another driver who will have three chartered teammates to rely on (as well as a team owner with three 500 wins), the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion is attempting to make his debut in the Daytona 500. Driving for the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, Heim is set to compete in 12 Cup races this year, but this will be his first ever Cup race at a superspeedway. He also knows what it’s like to miss a race in a 23XI car, not at Daytona, but at the Chicago Street Course last summer.

Chandler Smith – No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Chandler Smith, Garage 66 Ford

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

In addition to its three chartered entries, FRM will also bring a fourth open entry to Daytona with the team’s Truck Series regular behind the wheel. This will be Smith’s third attempt to make the 500, all coming with three different teams. Unfortunately, he’s 0-2 as he failed to make the race with Kaulig in 2023 and again with Garage 66 in 2025. 

Anthony Alfredo – No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet

Anthony Alfredo, Beard Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Beard Motorsports is a part-time team that focuses on superspeedway races with technical support from RCR. This will be the team’s tenth consecutive attempt at the Daytona 500, having only missed the show three times. Unfortunately, one of those DNQs came last year with Alfredo, but this same pairing made the race together in 2024. 

JJ Yeley – No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet

JJ Yeley, NY Racing Team Chevrolet

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

A journeyman racer and a true underdog if he can make it into the race. Yeley is a veteran with nearly 400 Cup starts over the last two decades. He has made eleven previous attempts at the 500 with nine different teams! And while he has six starts in the 500, his last four attempts have all ended in DNQs. This will be his first year attempting the race with the NY Racing Team, which last made the 500 in 2022 with Greg Biffle behind the wheel.

Casey Mears – No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

Casey Mears, Garage 66 Ford

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

Mears is the most experienced Cup driver not yet locked into the race, but he’s driving for a team that has a spotty record when it comes to making it into the field at Daytona. Mears is just a few starts shy of 500 Cup races, which includes 13 previous starts in the 500. He almost won the race in 2006, finishing second. He has 15 total attempts at the 500 in his career, missing the race in both 2010 and 2011. And while he is highly experienced, Mears hasn’t made a Daytona 500 attempt in seven years. This team last qualified for the season-opener in 2020, and has since DNQed in every subsequent attempt.

BJ McLeod – No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

BJ McLeod, Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

This driver/owner used to have a chartered entry, but he sold it for upwards of $40 million a few years ago, downsizing and turning the No. 78 into a part-time effort. He has five starts in the Daytona 500, but failed to make the race in both years as an open entry (2024 and 2025). While the odds aren’t in his favor, he does have plenty of friends in the garage and that’s something you always need at a drafting track like Daytona.

*LOCKED IN: Jimmie Johnson – No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

There’s no understating this entry. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time Cup Series champion, driving a car he co-owns as he embarks on his 23rd Daytona 500 – a race he has won twice before (2006, 2013). Unlike the other drivers on this list, he is locked in via the Open Exemption Provisional, which is only available to all-star drivers and adds an additional 41st spot to the grid. Johnson has 700 Cup starts, including 83 wins, which puts him sixth on the all-time wins list. Last year, he finished third in the Daytona 500 driving this No. 84 car, which was the 50-year-old racer’s first top five finish since 2020.

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