2025 NASCAR Hall of Famer ‘expected’ to compete in the Daytona 500 as per Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s crew chief

The 67th running of the highly-coveted Daytona 500 is 'expected' to have the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards as one of the contenders, according to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s right-hand man, Mike Kelley. The crew chief shared a social media message on January 17, expecting an official announcement from 'Cousin Carl.'

Edwards, a Missouri native, and a 28-time Cup Series race winner, retired from NASCAR after battling in his final race in 2016, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's been nearly a decade since the Hall of Famer last piloted a Cup Series ride, and would mark the first time in a NextGen car if the expectation materializes.

That being said, Mike Kelley expressed the duels are getting exciting, probably because of the unique lineup involving Castroneves, Xfinity driver Justin Allgaier, and more. He also 'expected' Carl Edwards' Daytona 500 participation, also known as 'Cousin Carl' because he is a first cousin once removed of former NASCAR driver, Ken Schrader.

"I’m expecting Cousin Carl to make an announcement tomorrow that he’s attempting to make the @DAYTONA 500! This years duels are getting exciting!" Kelley posted on his X handle.

The 2025 Daytona 500 would be unique because of NASCAR's Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) policy. It allows the greats of other motorsports to showcase their skillset in a Cup Series race. Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indy 500 winner, is the only addition to the 2.5-mile oval thus far, through OEP.

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Exploring if Carl Edwards could get the opportunity to race in the Daytona 500

While NASCAR's OEP permitted Castroneves to pilot Trackhouse Racing's #91 Chevrolet, without necessarily qualifying in the Duels, they barred former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace from entering any NASCAR-warranted race in 2025. Though Wallace was approved by the sport's chairperson Mike Helton, the VP of competition Elton Sawyer communicated the disapproval.

Wallace last raced in the Cup Series at the 2015 Daytona 500, and his most recent effort was a three-race stint for JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series for the 2020 season. Since then, he hasn't battled in a NASCAR event. Thus, he was deemed unfit, and his previously confirmed entry was deemed ineligible.

Carl Edwards represents a weaker case for participation. He was last seen in a NASCAR race at the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400 Cup Series battle. Considering Wallace has a five-year gap since his last NASCAR race and his candidature was sidelined, it's highly likely that the sanctioning body won't approve Carl Edwards' request, if he makes one.

It's worth mentioning that if Helio Castroneves fails to qualify for the Daytona 500, the field would consist of 41 NextGen cars fighting for the highly-coveted spot, marking the first time since the 2015 Daytona 500 that the Great American Race rostered over 40 entries for the main race.