Daytona 500 Open Entries

Tom Luttermoser Image: Carvana Racing

The big news of Travis Pastrana racing for 23XI is just the 3rd complete confirmed Daytona 500 open entry after Jimmie Johnson and Austin Hill. But here is the complete rundown of the open entries for hte 65th running as we know of now.

Jimmie Johnson of Legacy Motor Club will attempt to qualify into the 500 in the #87 Carvana Chevrolet Camaro. This will be Johnson's first Daytona 500 since retiring in 2020 and his first ever in a car not owned by Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon.

Austin Hill will attempt to qualify his #62 Beard Motorsports Beard Oil Chevrolet in what could become his first ever Daytona 500. Hill won the Daytona opener last season for RCR in the Xfinity Series and and will field that car full time again in '23 along with 5 other Cup attempts in the 62 for Beard.

X Games legend Travis Pastrana will make his first attempt at the great American race in the new #67 23XI Racing Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD. Pastrana has run 5 Truck Series races and 42 Xfinity races including a full season for Roush in 2013. But this will mark his first start in Cup.

Chandler Smith has been tasked by Kaulig Racing to bring their 3rd Cup entry to the Daytona 500 for his first attempt at a Cup start. Chandler will run the #13 QuickTie Chevrolet after an announcement Wednesday morning that they would also sponsor the 16 Xfinity car for him as well. 

Zane Smith has been confirmed as an Open driver for Front Row Motorsports since before the end of the 2022 year. This could be his first Daytona 500 but details on car number and sponsorship are, so far, not yet public. Zane fielded the #17 RFK Ford Mustang in place of Chris Buescher at Gateway in 2022 and finished a beyond impressive 17th before wining the Truck Series title later in the year.

Other not yet confirmed entries could be;

Motorsports Business Managment's #66 entry with an unknown driver

One of if not both Team Hezeberg's #26 & 27 cars could make the attempt for the team's second Daytona 500

The Money Team Racing's #50 Chevrolet Camaro and an unknown driver in the team's second 500.

NY Racing ran the 2022 500 but no word as of yet for this year either

F.Y.I. Justin Marks, Co-Owner of TrackHouse Racing confirmed Tuesday that Project 91 would not field a driver in the Daytona 500