Seven Drivers Still Looking To Race Into Daytona 500

Justin Allgaier in action at Daytona Int'l Speedway. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A wild Busch Light Pole Qualifying Session for the 67th Daytona 500 left a bevy of star power on the outside looking in heading into the Duel qualifying races.

While Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe claimed the pole position, the likes of JR Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing will have to race their way into the Great American Race, having not boasted enough speed to lock in during time trials at Daytona Int’l Speedway Wednesday night.

Of the nine open, non-chartered entries on this year’s Daytona 500 entry list, only two have advanced into Sunday’s field thus far. The quick pair was comprised of former NASCAR Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr., both making one-off starts in another effort to claim NASCAR’s biggest prize.

Meanwhile, the remaining seven drivers can be divided into three categories: heavy hitters, dark horses, and long shots.

The big-name hopefuls are led by defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier, running for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports, the Xfinity Series team Allgaier runs for full time that is looking to make its debut at the Cup Series level this weekend.

Allgaier, seeking to make his third Daytona 500 start, knew coming into the week that the stakes would be high for his No. 40 Chevrolet team. He’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m at my best when the pressure is the highest,” said Allgaier. “Last year (during his championship run) we said that pressure makes diamonds, and it’s really true. If it didn’t mean anything, there would be no pressure, right? I think sometimes the peaks and the valleys define how we feel, who we are, and how we operate. I’ve been blessed to be around great people and great opportunities. This is just another addition to what I’ve been able to accomplish through my career.

“It’s a way bigger experience than just me driving the race car, that’s for sure,” he added.

Allgaier and the other open combatants not yet in the ‘500’ field must be the top-finishing non-chartered car in their respective Duel qualifiers to guarantee their place on the grid. It’s often a chaotic process over the 150-mile distance.

“Anything can and will happen in the Duels. We've seen it all time and time again,” Allgaier noted. “You can have the fastest race car here and it winds up in a box of parts or you can sneak your way in on the last lap. I think Jimmie got in on one of the last laps of the Duels. You never know what to expect.  I'm proud of the effort just to get to this point. We're going to do everything we can to make it into the 500.”

Also in the heavy-hitter category is Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 entry with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

After winning a main event in the now-defunct Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series, series CEO Don Hawk promised the Brazillian he’d help land him a NASCAR Cup Series opportunity. Three years later, that dream will come true.

Despite not qualifying on speed on Wednesday, and even if he doesn’t race in on Thursday, NASCAR introduced a new ‘Open Exemption Provisional’ during the offseason that allows Castroneves to run as a 41st entry into the Daytona 500 field if necessary.

But no matter what, Castroneves said you’ll see him racing hard in his Duel over the 150-mile distance.

“I need practice. I need to run. I don’t have any experience at all,” said Castroneves of racing in the draft. “(Wednesday) was my second time in the car, so ... I think every moment that I’m actually in the car, I will learn something. And I need it. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a different beast. It’s an amazing car, but it’s completely different rules than anything I’ve ever done.

“No matter what happens, I'll be running hard in the Duels. We know we're racing on Sunday, but I want to race my way in and run well for Justin (Marks) and everyone at Trackhouse (Racing) that has given me such a great opportunity. We’ll go out, do all we can, and see what happens.”

Corey LaJoie in action at Daytona Int'l Speedway. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

The ‘Dark Horse’ category has Rick Ware Racing’s No. 01 entry with Corey LaJoie among its ranks. After being traded midseason from Spire Motorsports to RWR, LaJoie returns for a part-time effort in 2025.

No stranger to success on superspeedways, LaJoie has the expertise and skill needed to make a run from 17th in the second Duel on Thursday to clinch a spot in the Daytona 500.

“It’s weird. I have the least amount of stress coming down here than I ever have. The first one coming down here you are scared because you don’t know what you don’t know, and you want to make it,” LaJoie noted. “I think there were only two people I had to beat in my Duel at that point in time. I was able to make it in there, which changed the trajectory of my career.

“But this time I know what it takes. I know that I can control what I can control and there’s as much outside of my control as within my control. If I do everything I possibly can. If I hit the marks and check all the boxes that we need to check on Thursday night, then I can drive my bus home whatever day that is, whether it’s Friday morning or Monday morning with my head held high and know that I gave it a good shot.”

Anthony Alfredo and the Beard Motorsports No. 62 entry also find themselves as dark horses to make the show on Thursday. Alfredo is looking to make his third run at the Harley J. Earl Trophy, and second with Beard Motorsports, a team that largely only runs the Cup Series’ superspeedway races.

“It’s going to be pretty intense tomorrow, but I look forward to it because it’s going to be that much more rewarding qualifying into the race just knowing the field of open cars that are here this time around,” said Alfredo.

“Obviously, the qualifying lap wasn't what we wanted, so we know we have work to do. But Darren (Shaw, crew chief) and everyone on this Beard Motorsports (No.) 62 team are here to race on Sunday and I want to give them the opportunity to go out and do just that. It’s not going to be easy and we know that, but we're going to go out swinging in our Duel and look to make the Daytona 500 that way.”

The long shots consist of journeymen drivers and teams like B.J. McLeod and his self-owned Live Fast Motorsports No. 78. McLeod’s two career top-10 runs have come at Daytona Int’l Speedway, albeit both in the August races.

The Live Fast superspeedway program has found success in the past, with McLeod leading laps in the spring Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway race in 2024. McLeod is in search of his seventh appearance in the Daytona 500.

Another ‘Long Shot’ driver looking to earn his way into Sunday’s main event is J.J. Yeley, who came within mere feet of upsetting Jimmie Johnson and making the show in last year’s first Duel. Yeley is in his second try with the N.Y. Racing team, but has run in six previous Daytona 500s.

The last of the long shots is Chandler Smith, who has twice tried and twice failed to make the Great American Race. On a deal that was put together last-minute, Smith will attempt to get Carl Long’s “Garage 66” (formerly Motorsports Business Management) entry into the show.

These seven hopefuls will suit up and contend for a spot in NASCAR’s biggest race during the Duels at Daytona Thursday night. Broadcast coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

The two that transfer in will compete in the 67th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16. Coverage of the Great American Race begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with in-car cameras streaming exclusively on MAX.