The Super Bowl is the official end of the 2025 NFL season, with the National Football League wrapping up with its biggest event of the year. Now that it’s in the rearview mirror, all eyes turn to NASCAR with the regular season beginning on Sunday in the 68th running of the Daytona 500, its biggest event of the year.
Ahead of The Great American Race, we’re taking a quick look at which NASCAR drivers will be out there for the biggest race of the season. So, let’s dive into the Daytona 500 entry list for 2026.
Daytona 500 Entry List 2026
| Car | Driver | Team | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Busch Light |
| 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Discount Tire |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Bass Pro / Winchester |
| 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Busch Truck Centers |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | HendrickCars.com |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Castrol |
| 7 | Daniel Suarez | Spire Motorsports | Freeway Insurance |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | zone |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Sea Best |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | National Debt Relief |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Menards/PEAK |
| 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | CELSIUS |
| 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | |
| 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Bass Pro Shops |
| 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Interstate Batteries |
| 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Motorcraft / Quick Lane |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Shell Pennzoil |
| 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Xfinity |
| 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | |
| 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Monster Energy |
| 36* | Chandler Smith | Front Row Motorsports | |
| 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Speedy Cash |
| 40* | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Traveller Whiskey |
| 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | HassTooling.com |
| 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | |
| 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Advent Health |
| 44* | J.J. Yeley | NY Racing | |
| 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Chumba Casino |
| 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | HYAK Motorsports | Chef Boyardee |
| 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Ally |
| 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | |
| 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Monster Energy |
| 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Kroger / Viva |
| 62* | Anthony Alfredo | Beard Motorsports | Dude Wipes |
| 66* | Casey Mears | MBM Motorsports | S.I. Yachts |
| 67* | Corey Heim | 23XI Racing | Robinhood |
| 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Modo Casino |
| 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | |
| 78* | BJ McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | |
| 84* | Jimmie Johnson | Legacy Motor Club | Carvana |
| 88 | Connor Zilisch | Trackhouse Racing | Red Bull |
| 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | SuperFile |
| 99* | Corey LaJoie | RFK Racing | Trimble |
Read More: NASCAR Hot Seat 2026, Five Cup Series Drivers on the Hot Seat
How many drivers are in the Daytona 500?
There are 44 drivers on the Daytona 500 entry list for Sunday’s race. Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 84 for Legacy Motor Club, will be participating in the race through an open exemption provisional. There are nine unchartered cars competing for spots in the starting grid.
Related: NASCAR Power Rankings 2026
How many laps are in the Daytona 500?
There are 200 laps in the Daytona 500, covering 500 total miles at Daytona International Speedway. Stages 1 and 2 are 65 laps and the final stage is 70 laps.
Related: NASCAR Predictions 2026, Projecting 16 Playoff Drivers
Who won the Daytona 500 last year?
William Byron won the Daytona 500 last year, winning it in consecutive years. Byron is the first back-to-back Daytona 500 winner since Denny Hamlin (2019-2020).
Related: NASCAR Schedule 2026
