2026 Daytona 500 Preview: NASCAR’s Season Kicks Off

After two months of rest, NASCAR’s best return to the World Center of Racing to open the season with the biggest crown jewel of the series. After a turbulent offseason with several changes, we have a lot to talk about ahead of the 2026 Daytona 500.

A new points format and a new schedule headline the changes as Kyle Larson looks to defend his 2025 Cup Series Championship. Before we dive into what to expect on track, let’s dive into some of the off-track changes.

Silly Season

Regarding driver changes, this offseason was relatively quiet. Among the charter teams, the biggest change features hyped prospect Connor Zilisch moving up to the Cup Series and taking the place of Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse. In turn, Suarez moved over to Spire and will take over for Justin Haley, who moves down to the Craftsman Truck Series to pilot the #16 RAM Truck for Kaulig Racing.

The move for Haley highlights one of the big offseason changes as RAM returns to the Truck Series, giving the third division of NASCAR a fourth manufacturer, along with Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota.

The other major change comes in the form of the points format for 2026. NASCAR’s version of a postseason returns to the Chase format, meaning we will not have rounds with eliminations any longer. The top 16 drivers in points qualify for the playoffs, and a win no longer locks drivers into the postseason – something I think will benefit the quality of racing on track.

2026 Daytona 500 Entry List

The Daytona 500 will once again have a full field of competitors as 45 drivers hope to make their way into the Great American Race. Of the 45 hopefuls, 36 drivers are locked in to the big race by virtue of the charter system, including the teams that battled NASCAR over this system in court last season.

That leaves eight open entries vying for four spots. The open entries are listed below in numerical order:

No. 36 – Chandler Smith – Front Row Motorsports
No. 40 – Justin Allgaier – JR Motorsports
No. 44 – J.J. Yeley – NY Racing Team
No. 62 – Anthony Alfredo – Beard Motorsports
No. 66 – Casey Mears – Garage 66
No. 67 – Corey Heim – 23XI Racing
No. 78 – B.J. McLeod – Live Fast Motorsports
No. 99 – Corey LaJoie – RFK Racing

The two fastest open drivers automatically lock themselves into the Daytona 500. After that, it will be the highest finishers among open cars in their respective Duels. Additionally, Jimmie Johnson will be in the 500 as an OEP Entry, expanding the field to 41 cars.

2026 Daytona 500 Race Predictions

Broken record time. I have no idea who will still be running at the end of the race at a drafting-style track in order to predict the winner. The Penske and Hendrick Cars will inevitably run well. Denny Hamlin and Michael McDowell tend to find their way to the front. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the RFK cars up front either.

I am interested to see if we see more of the fuel-saving strategy or if the cars run wide open. I also wonder if things get less chaotic at the end, now knowing that a win doesn’t guarantee a postseason spot.

Ryan Blaney is my race winner pick, but ultimately, this is a big old shrug for me. No matter who crosses the line first, I’m excited for the 2026 NASCAR season to get underway!

Check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action this week!

Wednesday 02/11

NASCAR Cup Series Practice – 9:00 a.m. CT on FS1

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

Thursday 02/12

ARCA Menards Series Practice – 3:00 p.m. CT

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Practice – 4:00 p.m. CT on FS1

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

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

Friday 02/13

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

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

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice – 3:30 p.m. CT on the CW

NASCAR Cup Series Practice Two – 4:35 p.m. CT on FS1

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

Saturday 02/14

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying – 9:00 a.m. CT on the CW

Daytona ARCA 200 – 11:00 a.m. CT on FOX

NASCAR Cup Series Practice Three – 2:00 p.m. CT on FS1

United Rentals 300 (NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) – 4:00 p.m. CT on the CW

Sunday 02/15

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

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