Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club have secured the Open Exemption Provisional for the upcoming Daytona 500, effectively locking Johnson and his No. 84 Toyota into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. This new development, which uses the Jimmie Johnson Daytona 500 exemption as a 37th charter, impacts the lineup by excluding Trackhouse Racing from fielding an additional car in the landmark event.
New Provisional Rule Alters Daytona 500 Entry List
For the 2025 event, NASCAR’s updated rules grant Legacy Motor Club and Jimmie Johnson the only Open Exemption Provisional, which ensures Johnson a guaranteed spot regardless of his qualifying performance. This mechanism, introduced in recent seasons, allows an extra car into the traditionally 40-car field—resulting in a unique 41-car grid for this high-profile race. Helio Castroneves was the beneficiary of this provisional in 2024, enabling him to race despite not qualifying on speed, but the opportunity was not extended to Trackhouse Racing for 2025.
Trackhouse Racing’s Entry Plan Directly Affected
With Johnson’s team using the provisional, Trackhouse Racing will not enter a fourth car, the No. 91 Chevrolet under their PROJECT91 program, in this year’s Daytona event. The team began offering select Cup Series starts to international drivers with PROJECT91 in 2022 and had fielded the entry in the Daytona 500 for the first time last season. The recent announcement precludes Trackhouse from taking advantage of the provisional slot, as introducing another car would mean intense competition, with up to eight cars battling for only four open positions.
Confirmed and Expected Entries for This Year’s Race
Several teams and drivers have already secured spots in the 2025 Daytona 500 entry list. Confirmed entries include Justin Allgaier in the No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Casey Mears driving the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, and B.J. McLeod piloting the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet. Additionally, anticipated participants feature Austin Hill with the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, the No. 44 NY Racing Chevrolet, the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet, and Corey Heim with the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota. These entries highlight the intense competition for the limited open spots in the Daytona 500 lineup, even as only one world-class provisional is made available each weekend.
Provisional Slot Holds Special Relevance for Daytona 500
The Open Exemption Provisional seldom comes into play, as most other NASCAR Cup Series events rarely exceed 40 cars. The last notable instance, apart from Daytona, was the 2025 Chicago Street Race, where Corey Heim did not qualify for 23XI Racing. The unique value of the provisional at Daytona reinforces the high stakes and exclusivity of the season’s biggest race.
Key Dates and Broadcast Details
NASCAR has scheduled single-car qualifying for Wednesday, February 11, followed by two Duel races on Thursday, February 12. Fox will provide live television coverage of the Daytona 500 itself from Daytona International Speedway starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 15. Fans, teams, and drivers are preparing for another dramatic start to the Cup Series calendar, with established names such as Jimmie Johnson, Helio Castroneves, Corey Heim, and Justin Allgaier poised to battle alongside legendary NASCAR organizations like Legacy Motor Club and Trackhouse Racing.
This year’s application of the Jimmie Johnson Daytona 500 provisional underscores the ongoing evolution of NASCAR’s qualifying system and its impact on both established teams and newcomers striving for a place on the sport’s biggest stage.
