Only five open entries will vie for a slot in the 2026 Daytona 500, the championship‑deciding Cup Series race that looms over the track.
No. 44 NY Racing Team – Kyle Gase
Kyle Gase, 33, racing the Chevrolet 44, brings 94 Cup starts since 2014. His Talladega best is a 17th place finish in 2020, and Daytona’s latest marks a 20th place showing.
The NY Racing Team, which missed the Daytona 500 last year with JJ Yeley, already saw the 44 qualify for Talladega after rain‑outs. A successful Daytona run would make it the team’s fifth appearance this season.
No. 62 Beard Motorsports – Casey Mears
Casey Mears, 48, is the veteran of the open entries with 497 career starts and a lone Cup victory at the 2007 Coke 600. He is chasing his 500th career start.
Mears has previous Daytona experience, coming 2nd at the 2006 Daytona 500 and 4th in 2014. The team’s RCR alliance has sent drivers to superspeedways, achieving 5th at Daytona and 6th at Talladega, but failed to qualify this year’s go‑or‑go races.
No. 66 – Garage 66 – Gray Gaulding
Gray Gaulding, 28, aligns with Ford’s Garage 66 and has 60 Cup starts. His best Talladega finish was 9th in 2019, and at Daytona, his top was a 20th place in 2018.
Owned by Carl Long, the open‑entry team will attempt its 12th race of the year. Gaulding is the fifth driver to pilot the Ford; the team previously qualified for the 2026 Daytona 500 with Mears, finishing 32nd.
No. 67 23XI Racing – Corey Heim
Teaming the Toyota 67 is Corey Heim, 24, who recorded a first‑career victory at San Diego’s street course and a Brickyard 400 win on the same day 2026. He is entering his ninth start of the season.
23XI’s open entry stands apart as part of a multi‑team organization that includes three chartered cars. The 67 has never failed to qualify since the 2025 Chicago street race.
No. 67 – Live Fast Motorsports – Daniel Dye
Daniel Dye, 22, holds a four‑race contract with Live Fast Motorsports. Formerly a full‑time Truck Series driver for Kaulig and Ram, Dye left after a suspension for inappropriate livestream remarks; he has since completed sensitivity training.
Having debuted at Talladega this spring, Dye would make Daytona his fourth career start. Live Fast, owned by BJ McLeod, has entered eight races this year, with McLeod, Dye, and Katherine Legge in the cockpit. The team’s last two top‑ten finishes have come at Daytona (9th in 2021, 7th in 2022).
With 36 chartered entries on deck, Daytona’s Friday qualifying will see the slowest of the five open teams drop out of the field, closing the race’s lineup to 41 cars. The fighters among the open field are braced for a high‑stakes battle that adds drama to an already electric racing finale.
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