“Things are trending in a good direction“: Dale Earnhardt Jr. exudes optimism in NASCAR’s ‘health' amid ‘closing up' of the Daytona 500 roster 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spoken on the increasing number of open car entries for the upcoming Daytona 500. The former NASCAR driver believes the entry list is a good sign for the sport and should make a more dramatic duel.

Earnhardt Jr. is a 50-year-old Kannapolis native who won 26 races in the Cup Series. Today, he hosts his podcast, Dale Jr. Download, where he discusses the ins and outs of NASCAR.

When asked whether the higher Daytona 500 car count is good for the sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said [0.11] (via Dale Jr. Download):

"Good sign of health... but also the economics of it is the car count. If you're going to start 30 cars and 40 are there, then that's great. If you're going to start 30 cars and only 28 show up, it's concerning."

The former No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports driver shared how as many as 40 cars failed to qualify for the race around the 70s. While multiple entries left more teams disappointed, the system created a more dramatic qualifying session, also known as the Bluegreen Vacations Duel.

He also pointed out that JJ Yeley almost out-qualified Jimmie Johnson in last year's duel, making the session more interesting.

In conclusion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:

"Going into this 500 with as many open cars as we have I think it says things are trending in a good direction. It does give us that interest during the Duels." [0:58]

The upcoming Daytona 500 will be joined by multiple open teams fielding drivers including former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, and JJ Yeley.

Martin Truex Jr., who recently retired from full-time competition, is expected to attempt to qualify for the race with Tricon Garage.

Only 40 cars will make the Daytona 500 consisting of 36 chartered and four open teams. As part of the charter agreement, chartered teams will automatically qualify for the race.

In contrast, the open teams will compete against each other to make the final four spots.

The Duel is scheduled for February 13, while the Daytona 500 is on February 16.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. set to field Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen in select Xfinity Series races

Aside from hosting the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a co-owner of the championship-winning NASCAR Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports. For 2025, the team announced Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen as the part-time drivers of its No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro.

Chastain and SVG will run in nine Xfinity races alongside their full-time racing duties with Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.

Ross Chastain will pilot the No. 9 Chevy at Circuit of the Americas, Darlington, Nashville, Dover, and Iowa. Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen will take over the car in Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen.

As for Dale Earnhardt Jr., the team owner stated he won't race as a part-time driver for JR Motorsports this year. His last entry was the 2024 Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway where he finished seventh after starting 13th on the field.