2023 Daytona 500 Entry List is Set at 42 Cars

by
Peter Stratta
February 14, 2023

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR

42 Cars Vying for 40 Grid Spots in 65th Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The official entry list has been released for the 2023 Daytona 500. Marking the 65th Running of The Great American Race, NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season will kick off with 42 cars going for 40 spots. While the 36 charter teams are all guaranteed to make Sunday’s show, six others have work ahead. Who are the six open teams, and who has a best chance at taking the green flag? Let’s look at each open car and preview their chances at qualifying for the biggest race of the year.

Open Drivers and Teams

Two-time Daytona 500 champion Jimmie Johnson will attempt to make the field in the LEGACY Motor Club No. 84 Chevrolet. Beginning his equity partnership in the rebrand of Petty GMS Racing, Johnson is aiming for his NASCAR return. The seven-time Cup champion has not made any start since the 2020 finale at Phoenix, and will try to make his 21st Daytona 500 start with Carvana as a sponsor.

Xfinity Series sophomore Austin Hill hopes to put the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet in their sixth Daytona 500. While Hill makes his debut with this team, he had one Cup start last season at Michigan in the Richard Childress Racing No. 33. The 62 is no stranger to surviving chaos at Daytona, as this team has a seventh-place finish from 2020. This team has also DNQ’d in this race once, two years ago with Noah Gragson.

Young gun Chandler Smith aims for his Cup Series debut in the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. No stranger to superspeedway success, expect this third team to be quick for Smith. After a successful 2022 season in the Truck Series, Smith will be in Xfinity full-time with Kaulig, as well as select Cup starts.

23XI Racing is running a third car as well, for action sports icon Travis Pastrana. The former Xfinity Series driver will attempt his Cup debut as well, in the No. 67 Toyota. With no practice period before qualifying, Pastrana has his work cut out for him. Limited track time in other divisions has gone well for Pastrana though, as he won his first-ever dirt modified race earlier this week. Pastrana will also run the Daytona Truck race for Niece Motorsports.

Truck Series champion Zane Smith will drive a third Front Row Motorsports entry, the No. 36 Ford. FRM has put this third car into the Daytona 500 before, with David Ragan in 2021. Should Smith make the cut, this would be the first Daytona 500 in history to feature the reigning champions from all three National Series. This is the first of seven scheduled Cup starts for Smith with FRM this year.

After a successful 2022 debut, The Money Team is back with IndyCar star Conor Daly. The Floyd Mayweather-owned No. 50 Chevrolet made the Daytona 500 one year ago through their Duel race with Kaz Grala. Daly and sponsor BitNile raced the No. 50 last fall at the Charlotte Roval, and plan for Daytona to be one of several starts in 2023. Much like with Pastrana though, little on-track time may hurt this newcomer to stock cars.

How Open Teams Seal Their Daytona 500 Fate

There are two ways one of the six open teams can lock their way into Sunday’s Daytona 500. Pole qualifying on Wednesday (8:00 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM Channel 90) will guarantee the two fastest of these six cars in the show. In the Duel races Thursday (7:00 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM Channel 90), the two highest-finishing cars will take the final grid spots. Two quality drivers and teams will be left on the sidelines watching the Daytona 500, rather than racing for the Harley J. Earl Trophy. With six cars gunning for four berths, both qualifying and the Duels will be can’t-miss entertainment.