Bob Pockrass gives update on stacked open-car lineup for Daytona 500 as Corey LaJoie enters the mix 

Prominent American Motorsports journalist Bob Pockrass gave an update on the nine open car drivers' lineup for the Daytona 500 on X. The tweet came after the announcement of the ninth driver - Corey LaJoie for Rick Ware Racing.

The 2025 Daytona 500 scheduled for February 16 will feature a competitive lineup vying for the limited number of spots. There are currently 43 cars on the entry list for the race with 36 cars falling under the chartered banner which guarantees them a spot in the race. The car field is 40 so the remaining open cars will be competing for the four open spots through time trials or qualifying heats. The qualifying process for the open cars involves a single-car qualifying session where the two fastest open cars secure two spots and two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races where the highest finishing open car in each duel also qualifies.

Corey LaJoie driving the No. 01 Ford for Rick Ware Racing was the ninth entry into the open car field. In a tweet, Bob Pockrass updated the list of drivers competing as open cars in the upcoming 'Great American Race'. It read as follows:

"With LaJoie announcement, believe all open cars have been announced (nine of them): 01-LaJoie (RWR) 40-Allgaier (JRM) 44-Yeley (NY) 56-TruexJr (Tricon) 62-Alfredo (Beard) 66-Chandler Smith (Garage 66/MBM) 78-McLeod (LiveFast) 84-Johnson (Legacy) 91-Castroneves (23XI)"

The 2025 Daytona 500 will be the 67th running of the iconic event and will act as the season opener for the upcoming campaign. This year will see notable debuts like Shane van Gisbergen who will be driving for Trackhouse Racing, the new team Haas Factory Team following the rebranding from Stewart Haas Racing, and the much-anticipated debut of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports. Major drivers who will also be competing in the race are Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Kyle Larson.

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“This is our life”: Kelley Earnhardt delivered a clear “passion” statement on JR Motorsports unprecedented Daytona 500 entry

Dale Earnhardt Jr celebrates with driver Justin Allgaier after winning the 2024 Xfinity Series championship during the Championship race at Phoenix Raceway - Source: Imagn

Kelley Earnhardt, co-owner of JR Motorsports (JRM), expressed her excitement and passion for the team's debut in the Daytona 500, emphasizing the significance of the event for the Earnhardt family. With a rich history at Daytona International Speedway, where her father, Dale Sr., and brother, Dale Jr., have both achieved notable success, Kelley highlighted that this race is particularly special.

JRM has announced Justin Allgaier as the #40 Chevrolet Camaro driver for this one-off Cup Series entry, marking a long-awaited attempt to compete at this prestigious event. The team will aim to qualify during the pre-race Duels on February 13.

"We've been talking about the opportunity to be in the Cup Series, and obviously, we're a family of racers, this is our life, this is our passion, and so to be able to have a Cup entry at the Daytons 500, a place that's really special to us, a place where the Earnhardts have a lot of history and a lot of success," Kelley said via Cup Scene on YouTube [12:55 onwards].

Despite having considered entering the Cup Series since 2008, this marks JRM's first official participation in the Daytona 500. Kelley noted that their experience in this race will help inform future decisions about a full-time Cup Series campaign.