Daytona 500 Field Ranked: From Casey Mears to Chase Elliott

The Daytona 500 field is officially established, showcasing a mix of experience, age, and performance potential. The race, scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET, will feature 41 drivers eager for victory. Below is a comprehensive ranking of the drivers from Casey Mears to Chase Elliott based on their previous performances at Daytona and similar tracks.

Daytona 500 Field Ranked: From Casey Mears to Chase Elliott

41. Casey Mears

Starting Position: 17th

Team: Garage 66 No. 66 Ford

This marks Mears’ 495th Cup start, with hopes to reach 500 starts. This is his first Daytona 500 since 2019.

40. B.J. McLeod

Starting Position: 38th

Team: Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 Chevrolet

McLeod is celebrating his 150th career start after entering due to disqualification in qualifying.

39. Cody Ware

Starting Position: 33rd

Team: Rick Ware Racing No. 51 Chevrolet

War aims to improve from a challenging previous season and capitalize on past successes at Daytona.

38. Riley Herbst

Starting Position: 28th

Team: 23XI Racing No. 35 Toyota

Herbst made a notable 10th-place finish in his Daytona 500 debut in 2023.

37. Noah Gragson

Starting Position: 25th

Team: Front Row Motorsports No. 4 Ford

Gragson seeks to sync with his crew chief after a challenging qualifying process.

36. Josh Berry

Starting Position: 14th

Team: Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford

Berry hopes to leverage his team affiliation for a top performance.

35. Ty Dillon

Starting Position: 34th

Team: Kaulig Racing No. 10 Chevrolet

Dillon eyes a rebound after a difficult season but has previously secured good finishes at Daytona.

34. Cole Custer

Starting Position: 23rd

Team: Haas Factory Team No. 41 Chevrolet

Custer is chasing his first top-10 finish in the Daytona 500 after transitioning to Chevrolet.

33. AJ Allmendinger

Starting Position: 35th

Team: Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet

Despite a lack of support from manufacturer alliances, Allmendinger has a solid history at Daytona.

32. Connor Zilisch

Starting Position: 32nd

Team: Trackhouse Racing No. 88 Chevrolet

Zilisch makes his Daytona 500 debut without high expectations but has shown promise recently.

31. Shane van Gisbergen

Starting Position: 13th

Team: Trackhouse Racing No. 97 Chevrolet

SVG looks to improve on his previous Daytona performance in a slightly altered number.

30. Justin Allgaier

Starting Position: 40th

Team: JR Motorsports No. 40 Chevrolet

Allgaier seeks his first top finish with strong support from fans and team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

29. Corey Heim

Starting Position: 29th

Team: 23XI Racing No. 67 Toyota

Heim is enthusiastic about his Daytona 500 debut following a successful truck season.

28. Erik Jones

Starting Position: 24th

Team: Legacy Motor Club No. 43 Toyota

Jones has previously claimed victory at Daytona but needs to avoid potential wrecks.

27. Todd Gilliland

Starting Position: 18th

Team: Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford

Gilliland’s consistency is essential, especially after mixed results in past starts.

26. John Hunter Nemechek

Starting Position: 11th

Team: Legacy Motor Club No. 42 Toyota

Nemechek boasts an impressive average finish and hopes for a breakthrough win.

25. Daniel Suarez

Starting Position: 15th

Team: Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet

Suarez changes teams this season and aims for his first Daytona 500 win.

24. Jimmie Johnson

Starting Position: 31st

Team: Legacy Motor Club No. 84 Toyota

Returning for his fourth Daytona 500 post-retirement, Johnson looks for another win.

23. Zane Smith

Starting Position: 30th

Team: Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford

Smith continues seeking his first top finish in the Daytona 500.

22. Carson Hocevar

Starting Position: 6th

Team: Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet

Hocevar looks to rebound after inconsistent finishes in previous Daytona races.

21. Ty Gibbs

Starting Position: 20th

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota

Gibbs is looking for his maiden Cup win, making the Daytona 500 a perfect opportunity.

20. Alex Bowman

Starting Position: 21st

Team: Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet

Bowman has a streak of top-10 finishes and aims to build on past performances.

19. Ryan Preece

Starting Position: 19th

Team: RFK Racing No. 60 Ford

Preece looks to capture his first Cup win after a recent exhibition victory.

18. Austin Dillon

Starting Position: 7th

Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet

Dillon has prior success at Daytona and approaches the race with confidence.

17. Ross Chastain

Starting Position: 37th

Team: Trackhouse Racing No. 1 Chevrolet

Chastain faces challenges after starting in a backup car following a crash.

16. Tyler Reddick

Starting Position: 26th

Team: 23XI Racing No. 45 Toyota

Reddick finished second last year and aims to capitalize on past speed.

15. Brad Keselowski

Starting Position: 9th

Team: RFK Racing No. 6 Ford

Keselowski seeks to overcome injuries and complete a strong finish in this year’s race.

14. Kyle Larson

Starting Position: 8th

Team: Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet

Larson, under pressure, aims to break a long winless streak with a strong Daytona performance.

13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Starting Position: 16th

Team: Hyak Motorsports No. 47 Chevrolet

Stenhouse, a previous winner, has a solid chance to contend again based on drafting skills.

12. Chris Buescher

Starting Position: 41st

Team: RFK Racing No. 17 Ford

Buescher aims to recover from a qualifying incident and has a respectable Daytona history.

11. Austin Cindric

Starting Position: 36th

Team: Team Penske No. 2 Ford

Cindric aims to replicate his previous Daytona victory and prove his drafting prowess.

10. Christopher Bell

Starting Position: 12th

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota

Bell hopes to leverage past performances to secure a top finish at Daytona.

9. Ryan Blaney

Starting Position: 5th

Team: Team Penske No. 12 Ford

Blaney has a track record of leading at Daytona but seeks his first 500 victory.

8. Michael McDowell

Starting Position: 10th

Team: Spire Motorsports No. 71 Chevrolet

McDowell is experienced in drafting, with notable finishes in past Daytona races.

7. Bubba Wallace

Starting Position: 27th

Team: 23XI Racing No. 23 Toyota

Wallace finished close to victory in previous Daytona races and aims for redemption.

6. Joey Logano

Starting Position: 3rd

Team: Team Penske No. 22 Ford

Logano is a former champion looking to reclaim Daytona 500 glory.

5. Denny Hamlin

Starting Position: 22nd

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota

Hamlin seeks another Daytona win, although he has faced challenges in recent races.

4. William Byron

Starting Position: 39th

Team: Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet

Byron aims for an unprecedented third consecutive victory at Daytona.

3. Kyle Busch

Starting Position: 1st

Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet

This Daytona 500 will be Busch’s 21st start as he seeks his first win.

2. Chase Briscoe

Starting Position: 2nd

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota

Briscoe has performed well in this race and widens his odds after recent drafting successes.

1. Chase Elliott

Starting Position: 4th

Team: Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet

Elliott is a strong contender, bringing momentum after winning his qualifying race.