How Many Cars Could Attempt the 2023 Daytona 500?

by
Peter Stratta
November 15, 2022

Photo Credit to Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR

Just How Many Teams Could Make the Daytona 500 Entry List?

With NASCAR’s 2022 season now fully in the rearview mirrors, let’s take a look ahead to 2023. Starting off with the biggest race of the year, how many cars will show up to the Daytona 500? The 65th running of The Great American Race will have 40 starting spots for drivers trying to add their names onto the Harley J. Earl Trophy. With 36 of these cars being chartered and already locked in, who could make up the other four open spots on the grid? Recent years have had between two and four cars left out of NASCAR’s biggest race. With that in mind, let’s see who could try and make an attempt into the Daytona 500.

Confirmed Daytona 500 Entries

Aside from the 36 chartered teams, three others have already pledged their intentions to make a 500 attempt. Austin Hill will take over the No. 62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports, trying to make his second Cup start. In addition, reigning Truck Series champion Zane Smith will try and qualify with Front Row Motorsports. Lastly, two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson will try to make his NASCAR return in a third Petty GMS Racing car. These three drivers set the guaranteed entry list at a minimum of 39 cars.

Hypothetical Daytona 500 Entries

Five other open cars made attempts in last year’s Daytona 500. This included two cars from MBM Motorsports, as the 55 and 66 were the two cars sent home this past February. Bumping them out were the No. 50 for The Money Team (Kaz Grala), the No. 27 for Team Hezeberg (Jacques Villeneuve), and the NY Racing Team No. 44 (Greg Biffle). Hezeberg did make later starts with a second car (No. 26) as well, so they could possibly replicate that effort. The statuses of all three of these organizations are still TBD though for Speedweek.

February will mark seven months since Kurt Busch was sidelined with a concussion after crashing at Pocono. No longer a full-time driver, the 2017 Daytona 500 champion may return in a third 23XI Racing Toyota. While far from a confirmed chance, would another Harley J. Earl trophy not be near the top of a trophy hunting wishlist for the elder Busch?

Due to winning an SRX race this past summer, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves is also slated for a Daytona 500 ride. The Brazilian racing star is also a two-time defending winner of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Castroneves perfectly fits all requirements for Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 car. The third entry from the Chevrolet team made its debut last summer, and is earmarked for international star drivers from other racing disciplines. Trackhouse has not yet confirmed or denied any Daytona 500 attempt for Project91, but Castroneves could be a tailor-made match for this seat.

Daytona could also mark the debut for a new team, as 3F Racing hopes to compete with the No. 30. This German-backed team plans to race part-time in multiple series with Chevrolet power, but their current state is TBD.

As the 2023 Daytona 500 nears, the entry list will become much more clear. With 39 cars confirmed as of November, the recent Daytona 500 trend of 42-44 cars should be attainable. In year two with the Next Gen car, the 65th Daytona 500 could be the largest field yet.