Schedule, Insider news by manufacturer and more!
By Roy J. Akers — www.skyviewsports.net
Daytona Beach, Florida – The Great American Race starts the 36 race NASCAR season and the five undercard races including America 250 Florida Duel 1/2 on Thursday that will set the order for the races. ARCA, the Craftsman Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts will all race the weekend. The Daytona 500 is a sellout. Before we drop the green flag on the weekend, Here is the team news.
Complete Daytona Schedule
Toyota Gazoo Racing
NASCAR National Series – NCS/NORAPS/NCTS
Toyota seeks another win in the ‘Great American Race’ … The Toyota Camry XSE drivers who take the green flag in Sunday’s Daytona 500 will look to give Toyota its fourth visit to victory lane in the ‘Great American Race.’ Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver Denny Hamlin has delivered all three previous Daytona 500 wins for Toyota, scoring victories in 2016, 2019 and 2020. Hamlin is tied for third on the all-time Daytona 500 wins list, and a fourth victory Sunday would move him into a tie with Cale Yarborough for second.
Johnson returns to No. 84 Camry XSE … Jimmie Johnson is back in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB for the Daytona 500, his 23rd start in the Great American Race. Johnson and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB have opted to use NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provisional, which ensures them a starting spot in this Sunday’s race no matter their outcome across traditional qualifying or the Duels this week. The seven-time Cup Series champion won the Daytona 500 in 2006 and 2013 and is coming off a third-place finish in last year’s race.
Heim looks to make first Daytona 500 … In his part-time Cup Series schedule this season with 23XI Racing, Corey Heim will attempt to qualify for his first Daytona 500 in the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE. The Toyota Development Driver has made seven career Cup Series starts over the last two seasons but has yet to compete on a superspeedway. Heim has been victorious at DIS before, with a win in the Truck Series race last year that kickstarted his record-breaking and championship-winning season.
Burton returns to Toyota; begins with SHR … Harrison Burton is back behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Supra in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, joining Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) in the No. 24 entry this season. Burton has made 75 career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts in a Toyota, including two full-time seasons with JGR from 2020-2021. At DIS, Burton has an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career-best finish of second in 2020. He’s also a former Cup Series winner at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, capturing a victory in 2024.
SPIRE MOTORSPORTS INKS CARSON HOCEVAR TO
LONG-TERM CONTRACT EXTENSION
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 5, 2026) – Spire Motorsports and Carson Hocevar have reached a long-term agreement that will see the 23-year-old rising star at the controls of the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the next decade.
Hocevar, a native of Portage, Mich., is the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year and one of the division’s most recognized talents. Anchored by a host of blue-chip partners including Chili’s Grill and Bar, Delaware Life, MINER, Modo Casino and Zeigler Automotive Group in 2025, Hocevar turned in a banner sophomore season highlighted by his first career pole position on NASCAR’s senior circuit, a pair of runners-up and nine top-10 finishes.
“It’s a pretty big moment for our company to announce an extension with Carson (Hocevar) that takes us out for multiple years,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “It’s not just about knowing he’ll be here with us for the long-haul, but it gives our sponsors and competition group the foresight to make their own plans knowing he’s in the seat of the No. 77 as far as we can see. It has been an absolutely rewarding experience getting to know Carson and watching him grow up, and learn from the good and bad both at and away from the racetrack. I love him like a son and it means a great deal to me, personally, knowing he’ll be here for several years. I expect this announcement could test the effectiveness of my blood pressure medication, so I’ve alerted my physician he may have to adjust the dosage appropriately but, it’ll be worth it.”
The Portage, Mich., native impressed throughout his rookie season in 2024, earning top rookie honors on the strength of one top-five, six top-10 and 13 top-15 finishes, including a then-career best third-place finish in the Cup Series’ September visit to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. He became the third Michigan-born driver to accomplish the feat, was the top-finishing rookie in 15 of the 36 points-paying races and his 686 points accumulated out-distanced his next closest competitor by 107 points.
“I love to race and there’s really no place better to race than here,” said Hocevar.
KYLE BUSCH-SPIRE MOTORSPORTS PAIRING RETURNS WITH HENDRICKCARS.COM IN SELECT 2026 TRUCK SERIES RACES
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 9, 2026) – Kyle Busch, one of NASCAR’s most accomplished drivers of the modern era, will compete in eight NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races for Spire Motorsports in 2026. HendrickCars.com will serve as the primary partner aboard the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado for the bulk of Busch’s eight-race slate.
The high-profile pairing between the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the Mooresville, N.C.-based team will shift into high gear for the Feb. 21 Fr8 Racing 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Following the conclusion of the Fr8 Racing 208, Busch will return to the seat of the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado at:
Richmond Raceway – Aug. 14
Bristol Motor Speedway – April 10
Texas Motor Speedway – May 1
Dover Motor Speedway – May 15
Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 22
Nashville Superspeedway – May 29
North Wilkesboro Speedway – July 18
Ford Racing
 FORD AND THE 500 Ford has won the Daytona 500 a total of 17 times with the last being four years ago when Austin Cindric (2022) captured the race in just his second attempt. Tiny Lund registered Ford’s first win in ‘The Great American Race’ when he subbed for Marvin Panch and drove the Wood Brothers to their first 500 win in 1963. Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett and Matt Kenseth are the only drivers to win the event more than once with Ford, but that could grow by one if either Joey Logano or Cindric find Victory Lane on Sunday.  BLANEY GOING FOR CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA WINSFord driver Ryan Blaney will be making his 12th start in the Daytona 500 this weekend and he would like nothing better for it to end up the way it did a few months ago. That’s when Blaney came from 13th to first in the final two laps of the regular season finale to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August. That marked his second career summer Cup win at Daytona, a facility that has been feast or famine for him throughout his career. That’s because in 21 all-time series starts, he has nine finishes of seventh or better, seven finishes of 30th or worse, and nine DNFs. The last Cup driver to win consecutive races at DIS was Jimmie Johnson in 2013. |
 PREECE RIDING HIGH -Ryan Preece comes into this weekend’s Daytona 500 still riding high after his win in last week’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. The Connecticut native successfully navigated rain, sleet, ice and other obstacles to lead the final 45 laps and post the first win of his NASCAR Cup Series career. As a result, he will try to become the first driver to win the Clash and 500 since Denny Hamlin did it in 2016. In six career Daytona 500 starts, Preece has a pair of top 10 finishes with his best effort being sixth in 2021.  BUESCHER ON TOP 10 RUN AT DAYTONAFord Mustang Dark Horse driver Chris Buescher has been on a roll of late with RFK Racing at Daytona International Speedway, coming into this weekend’s “Great American Race” having finished 10th or better five times in his last six starts at the superspeedway. That includes a victory in the 2023 regular season finale when he got a decisive push from teammate and co-owner Brad Keselowski, and led the final two laps of overtime. In 10 Daytona 500 starts, Buescher’s best finish is third (2020). |
