2025 Daytona 500 Preview: The Dawn of a New Season

Stock cars roaring around the high banks of Daytona mark the beginning of the season for NASCAR. The biggest race in the discipline doubles as the first points-paying race of the year. Race week for the 2025 Daytona 500 has arrived.

Every driver in NASCAR dreams of claiming victory at Daytona in the Great American Race. This cathedral of speed, 2.5 miles around represents a challenge and an honor. The 2025 season has officially arrived and we start on the historic shores of Daytona Beach.

Let’s dive in to the field.

2025 Daytona 500 Entry List

We touched on the silly season changes earlier this year when we previewed the Clash at Bowman Gray, however given the magnitude of the 500, we have a full field and then some trying to qualify.

45 cars are hoping to qualify for 40 spots, meaning some folks are going to leave Daytona unhappy before we hit the track on Sunday for the Main Event. The 36 chartered entries are locked in, let’s talk about the nine who aren’t.

Among the field hoping to qualify are former NASCAR Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson in the #84 and Martin Truex Jr. in the #56. Both legends are retired from full-time competition but hoping to claim NASCAR’s most coveted prize as part-time entries.

Reigning Xfinity Series Champ Justin Allgaier will attempt to make the first Cup Start for JR Motorsports in the #40. Allgaier will run full-time in Xfinity for JRM looking to defend his title.

First laps for JRM in Cup – ✅ pic.twitter.com/WKf5n7ba0p

— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) February 12, 2025

Corey LaJoie will be racing part-time in the #01 for Rick Ware Racing this season and hopes to qualify at Daytona. BJ McLeod in the #78 and Anthony Alfredo in the #62 often run the Cup Series when the series heads to Daytona or Talladega and will hope to make the Daytona 500 field as well. JJ Yeley in the #44 and Truck Series driver Chandler Smith in the #66 are also hopefuls for Sunday’s 500.

Finally, we have multiple-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves making his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the #91 car for Trackhouse. Castroneves will attempt to qualify as an open-entry, however, if he were to miss the field a new NASCAR provisional this season would allow him to race as a 41st competitor come Sunday.

Daytona Qualifying Format

One of the unique aspects of the Daytona 500 is the qualifying format. Instead of one simple round of qualifying, the week also features two “Duels” – a pair of 150-mile qualifying races after the initial qualifying session.

This hot rod looks even better in person. pic.twitter.com/fN1Sgl2vqv

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 12, 2025

The two fastest drivers in qualifying lock themselves into the front row for the start of Sunday’s race. The remainder of the starting positions are set by the finishing order of the Duels. Additionally, the drivers that finish in the top ten of each duel get points that count towards regular season standings adding a bit more motivation to push during the qualifying races.

For the non-charter drivers we mentioned above, they can lock themselves in by being one of the top two qualifiers on speed of their group, or by being the top finisher in their duel race.

2025 Daytona 500 Predictions

As ever with the superspeedway races, the biggest guarantee going in remains chaos. These drafting-style tracks bunch the cars up and create situations where anyone can win and anyone can end up in the wall. Just last season, Harrison Burton won the second Daytona Race and punched his ticket to the postseason.

That’s not to say that there aren’t drivers who seem to have a better grasp on this type of racing than others – or at least at winning drafting-style races. Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. both have multiple wins at drafting style tracks.

Getting in our laps at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/JoL5yW4FSd

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) February 12, 2025

The Penske cars seem to always fare well at Daytona and Talladega as well, meaning you can expect Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, and reigning Cup champ Joey Logano to find their way to the front.

However, if there is one driver in this field who perhaps wants this Crown Jewel of NASCAR more than anyone else, it has to be Kyle Busch. The veteran had some of the worst luck I’ve seen in the series last year. It feels like that has to turn around at some point. I’m taking Busch to win his first Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Be sure to check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action from the weekend.

Wednesday 02/12

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 7:15 p.m. CT on FS1

Thursday 02/13

Duel 1 at Daytona (NASCAR Cup Series) – 6:00 p.m. CT on FS1

Duel 2 at Daytona (NASCAR Cup Series) – 7:45 p.m. CT on FS1

Friday 02/14

ARCA Menards Series Qualifying – 12:30 p.m. CT (Untelevised)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – 2:00 p.m. CT on FS1

Fresh From Florida 250 (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) – 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1

Saturday 02/15

NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – 9:00 a.m. CT on The CW

Daytona ARCA 200 (ARCA Menards Series) – 11:00 a.m. CT on FOX

United Rentals 300 (NASCAR Xfinity Series) – 4:00 p.m. CT on The CW

Sunday 02/16

Daytona 500 (NASCAR Cup Series) – 1:30 p.m. CT on FOX

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