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The 2025 Daytona 500 is only a month away, and the open cars list is stacking up with renowned motorsports personalities who should make the race more exciting. One of them is Martin Truex Jr. who recently confirmed his entry with Tricon Garage.
The Daytona 500 is the NASCAR Cup Series season-opening race held at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. It is considered one of the most important events on the calendar and is deemed the "Great American Race."
Who could be the open car drivers that can impress in the Daytona 500 on February 16? Let's find out.
Martin Truex Jr.
Coming off his final full-time season in NASCAR, Martin Truex Jr. is set to join the 2025 Daytona 500 as a part-time driver. He will attempt to qualify for Sunday's race in the No. 56 Toyota Camry for Craftsman Truck Series team, Tricon Garage.
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Truex Jr. is a 34-time Cup race winner who never won a single Daytona 500 race. His best finish was a P2 in 2016 when he had a thrilling battle with Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin. However, Hamlin passed the two drivers on the final lap and beat Truex Jr. to the line by 0.011 seconds only.
The 2017 champion will return on track hungry for his maiden win in the season-opener, though it would be interesting to see how Tricon Garage would fare in its debut in the premier series. The team will receive support from multi-Daytona 500 winner Joe Gibbs Racing.
Justin Allgaier
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 with JR Motorsports. Allgaier will enter the race as the defending Xfinity Series champion following a P2 finish in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway last November.
While the driver spent most of his racing career in the second-tier series, he is fairly familiar with the 2.5-mile oval track, considering he has not been out of a ride since 2009. However, his challenge would be taking a bigger and more powerful car to victory lane.
Allgaier will drive the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports' first race in the premier series. It will also mark the driver's third time competing in The Great American Race.
Helio Castroneves
IndyCar star Helio Castroneves will make his NASCAR debut in the Daytona 500 under Trackhouse Racing's Project 91. The race may be a first for the Brazilian driver but he and the team are proven winners in their respective series.
Castroneves is a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, which should give him ideas on charging through the field around ovals. Meanwhile, Trackhouse Racing's Project 91 (No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro) has a history of winning a race in the hands of a debuting driver.
With NASCAR's new rule, the Open Exemption Provisional (OEP), Castroneves is granted a guaranteed spot on Sunday's race. The driver will start the race in P41 if he doesn't qualify for one of the original four open car spots.
