A NASCAR insider revealed which cars will compete for the remaining open spots for this year’s Daytona 500. Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports reported that seven cars will battle for four open spots in the first Cup Series race of the 2026 season.

The seven cars/drivers are Justin Allgaier from JR Motorsports, Corey Heim from 23XI Racing, Casey Mears from Garage 66, BJ McLeod from Live Fast Motorsports, JJ Yeley from NY Racing, a car from Beard Motorsports, and a car from Richard Childress Racing. This comes after Pockrass reported that Jimmie Johnson was awarded a spot in the Daytona 500 after applying for the “open exemption provisional.”

Of the drivers that were mentioned, Allgaier would be the one to watch. JR Motorsports announced in November that Allgaier will enter the Daytona 500 and drive the No. 40 car. The team made its Cup Series debut in last year’s Daytona 500, and Allgaier finished ninth.

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“I’m honored to be able to have the chance to drive this Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet again for Dale, Kelley, and all of JR Motorsports,” Allgaier said at the time. “Last year was such an incredible opportunity and experience, and I am really thankful that Chris Stapleton and Traveller wanted to come back and be a part of this again. We had the speed last year, and I know that we will again to make it into the Daytona 500. It’s going to be an unbelievable time.”

“Getting the opportunity to enter a second Daytona 500 is something that is extremely special to everyone at JR Motorsports,” JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller said. “Last year was an amazing moment, and I’m very proud to be able to see this group come back together with the support of Chris Stapleton and Traveller Whiskey to go after it again in February.”

The 2026 Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday, February 15, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Getting a Daytona 500 win would get the driver and the team a lot of recognition since it’s NASCAR’s biggest race of the year. But a victory also helps the driver and team get a leg up on the standings, and they clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Over the course of three years and 71 races together, Corey Heim and Scott Zipadelli amassed 21 wins and 45 top-5s with three final four appearances and the 2025 Truck Series championship.

It’s objectively a hard act to follow but Kaden Honeycutt isn’t allowing the pressure to exceed the privilege and intends to just put in the work in pursuit of the same results.

“From my end, I think it’s very important to wipe that slate clean and treat it like it didn’t happen,” Honeycutt told Motorsport.com on Wednesday. “I just want to try to be who I am, and definitely want to back up the success they’ve had the past three years, but also recognize that I’m my own person and need to figure out how to get there first.

“So there’s definitely some pressure, but I don’t feel much of it right now, because I’m just going to go out there and do the best I possibly can.”

And so far, Honeycutt’s best has methodically landed him in a position to get noticed by Toyota Racing Development and Tricon Garage’s No. 11.

“I feel like, being in that equipment, I’m going to be able to show what I can do,” Honeycatt added. “It’s going to be really fun. I want to enjoy every second of it and just try to go out there and win races, and give ourselves a title shot, whatever the format comes out to be.”

Honeycutt got to this point by being willing to do whatever it took to earn opportunities. He worked in the shop at OnPoint Motorsports and Niece Motorsports alongside the races he put the funding together for.

He won at the CARS Tour and ASA levels. He won the prestigious Snowball Derby in 2024. He made the playoffs last year for Niece and then advanced to the final four when signing with Tricon necessitated a move to Halmar Friesen Racing.

His story is very old school, conceptually.

“When I first moved to North Carolina, it was strictly as a working job,” Honeycutt said. “I was able to put together seven to eight races a year on the pavement Late Model side but was a full-time employee at whatever Truck Series shop I worked for.

“I worked really hard, and they knew I was a racer and wanted to drive, and eventually, when you work hard enough, opportunities will come and you need to be prepared to capitalize on it.”

So now, after working with successful crew chiefs like JC Umscheid and Phil Gould, Honeycutt’s journey has taken him to Zipadelli, the two-time champion and winner of 39 national touring series races atop the pit box.

“He doesn’t talk a lot but when he does, you listen to him, and take in what he’s saying because it’s really important and something you need to learn from,” Honeycutt said of Zipadelli. “He’s an extremely smart guy. He and David do a great job together and know what they need from their job.

“But from my experience, Scott is one of the quieter type guys and does his talking on the race track, and will talk afterwards once you’ve seen the hard work. I think that’s been awesome to see first hand.”

Honeycutt just met Zipadelli last year, once he signed with the team, but largely kept it casual as both of their teams chased the championship. But being able to make a playoff run last year with Toyota and HFR is what has Honeycutt most excited for this year.

He’s seen the tools and now he knows how to use them.

“Having that head start last year was huge for sure,” Honeycutt said. “Getting acclimated with the sim, how Toyota approaches races, working out of the performance center and being involved in, early, with everything we’re going to be doing this year helped a lot.

“I know my way around.

“I’ve been at the shop a lot since the off-season has started and the guys going back to work. Scott and I have a good relationship going. It’s basically their same team from last year, besides one, and that’s really important. So now we just have to go out and win races, try to repeat what they did the last years. We’re going to try and work towards that and I’m really optimistic about our chances.”

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Porsche works driver Ayhancan Güven will drive Manthey’s No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R in this month’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Güven, the reigning DTM Champion who won the 2025 title with a memorable last-lap overtake in the season finale at Hockenheim, joins the already-announced GTD PRO trio of Klaus Bachler, Ricardo Feller, and Thomas Preining in the No. 911 Porsche.

The Turkish driver made his IMSA and Rolex 24 debut last year with Wright Motorsports. Alongside co-drivers Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, and Tom Sargent, Güven finished second in GTD behind the winning No. 13 AWA (now 13 Autosport) Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Güven has already been confirmed as one of Manthey’s full-time pro drivers for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, driving their No. 91 Porsche with James Cottingham and Timur Boguslavskiy. In the winter, Güven was promoted to a full-fledged works driver role at Porsche.

Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera, Morris Schuring, and Richard Lietz will drive Manthey’s No. 912 Porsche in GTD, as announced last month.

Toyota’s already large corporate umbrella is expanding to make room for a fifth brand. Just months after Century was spun off as a standalone marque, Gazoo Racing is also becoming a distinct entity. The world’s largest carmaker has long hinted at a clearer separation between Toyota and GR models, and it’s now formalizing those plans.

Going forward, Toyota Gazoo Racing will be known simply as Gazoo Racing, reverting to a name that traces its roots back to 2007. Based on a previously outlined hierarchy, GR sits above the core Toyota brand and the entry-level Daihatsu but below Lexus and the newly founded Century. The latter is now its own entity as well, aspiring to take on Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Even before the official announcement, we knew this day would come. When the GR GT debuted a month ago, there were no Toyota badges inside or out. Since then, we’ve learned the V8 supercar won’t even be sold at Toyota dealerships, instead being offered through select Lexus showrooms.

Photo by: Toyota

As you can imagine, Gazoo Racing won’t be limited to the GR GT. If the MR2 is indeed making a comeback, it’s also likely to forgo the Toyota badge. A new Supra, this time likely without BMW ties, has already been confirmed, and it, too, would fit perfectly within the GR lineup. It would make sense for a next-generation 86 to serve as Gazoo Racing’s entry-level model.

GR will continue to live up to the “Racing” part of its name by competing in top-tier motorsports, including WRC. Additionally, the newly formed brand will cater to “customer motorsports using production vehicles.” That statement gives us hope for homologation specials and performance cars in general.

While the new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 will be exclusive to the GR GT, lesser models are expected to use Toyota’s new four-cylinder engine. The turbocharged 2.0-liter unit, codenamed “G20E,” is rated at more than 400 horsepower. This four-pot could become the backbone of the GR division, as it won’t be limited to front-engine applications.

Photo by: Toyota

The GR Yaris M concept features a mid-mounted layout, fueling rumors of an MR2 revival. As if that weren’t exciting enough, U.S. dealers have allegedly received a sneak preview of a reborn Celica. Add the Yaris and Corolla hot hatches to the mix, and the GR portfolio could look mighty impressive before the decade’s end.

That’s not all. Remember the FT-Se concept with dual motors and all-wheel drive? The fully electric sports car could arrive after 2026, and it wouldn’t be the only electric performance vehicle within the Toyota empire. The LFA concept won’t have a combustion engine when it eventually arrives.

The GR GT’s interior lacks the Toyota badge on the steering wheel

Photo by: Toyota

Motor1’s Take:

Toyota’s decision to elevate the Gazoo Racing name makes sense when you consider the influx of highly anticipated models. With affordable sports cars becoming increasingly rare, Toyota appears intent on dominating the niche with its GR products. The GR GT will sit at the top as the flagship, easily commanding a six-figure price. In fact, some reports suggest it could cost more than $200,000.

It’ll be interesting to see how Toyota fleshes out the GR lineup in the coming years. It’s unrealistic to expect every rumor to materialize, though. Reviving the MR2, Celica, and Supra while also adding an EV may be overkill, as all would be low-volume products. Still, the GR GT is a tremendous start, even if it’s reserved for deep-pocketed buyers.

Mark Martin shared his reaction to Cummins returning as a NASCAR sponsor for Kaulig Racing’s No.12 RAM 1500 truck in 2026. The engineering giant used to be Martin’s sponsor during his Roush Racing era in the 1990s.

Cummins has been operating for over a century, and its partnership with Dodge RAM began in 1989, when the first Cummins-powered truck rolled off the block. Now that RAM has decided to re-enter NASCAR, the engine manufacturer has followed suit.

The season-long sponsorship features a red and yellow paint scheme for Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen’s Truck Series debut. Queen is the defending ARCA Menards champion who has five Truck Series starts to his name. Notably, he was also the first driver announced to Kaulig Racing’s lineup.

The Chesapeake, Virginia native addressed the collaboration and shared an X post, writing:

“Pumped to partner with @Cummins this season. Excited to go chase some wins in the Cummins Ram #12. 🤘🏼”

Elated by the news, Mark Martin welcomed his former sponsor and wrote,

“Proud that @Cummins is still here in @NASCAR supporting this sport 🏁”

Brett Merritt, Vice President and President, Engine Business, Cummins, had this to say about the partnership,

“Cummins has racing in its DNA. From Clessie Cummins’ winning the first Indianapolis 500 as a crew member to our leadership in commercial power, we’ve always pushed the limits of what’s possible. Brenden Queen represents that same spirit – talented, hardworking, and full of momentum. Partnering with both Kaulig Racing and Ram provides the opportunity for us to continue to write our motorsport legacy.”

Mark Martin has become a leading voice in the sport. The Hall of Famer has been vocal about his misgivings with the playoff format, which has drawn the support of drivers and fans alike. He believes the elimination-style format rewards one-off performances over season-long dominance, and has called for the return of the classic points system.

With the playoff races drawing lower viewership numbers, the sport appears to be moving away from the single-race title-decider. Although a full-season championship seems far-fetched at the moment, many believe a three or four-race finale is in order.

Mark Martin ‘impressed’ by NASCAR’s playoff turnaround

In a recent interview with Kenny Wallace Media, Mark Martin shared a rather positive take on NASCAR’s playoff committee. While he was also a part of the initiative, Martin noted that much of his complaints fell on deaf ears at the start.

“I’m not super optimistic about whether, I was involved in the committee and in the beginning, [I] was the only one that was, I was screaming about it. And I wasn’t doing it for me. I was screaming about it because they asked me to be on it and because everywhere I go and every fan I talk to hates playoffs,” Mark Martin said.

“I don’t think we’ll get it, but I am very impressed that it’s actually a consideration,” he added.

Martin also noted that it’s farcical to name the championship format ‘playoffs’ when there’s no playing involved. Since the playoffs were largely influenced by the NBA and NFL, the terminology was carried over.

The previous season was one of the toughest years for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing. The trial against NASCAR took a significant toll on the team, which was relatively new to the sport. However, it all paid off when NASCAR decided to settle the matter with 23XI Racing and FRM before the situation escalated any further.

Now, after a gruelling spell, the team is finally ready to move forward and is prepping for the upcoming season. In doing so, the squad recently announced that it is extending its partnership with a social casino giant for the second consecutive season.

Chumba Casino’s Partnership With 23XI Racing in 2025

Chumba Casino, a growing name in the online social casino space, announced its partnership with 23XI Racing for the first time in 2025. Virtual Gaming World, Chumba Casino’s parent company, which had already established a foothold in Formula 1 with Scuderia Ferrari, decided to foray into NASCAR as well, partnering with 23XI Racing.

The association that began in 2025 boasted the vibrant colors of the Chumba Casino on the team’s equipment, cars, and the firesuits of the drivers – Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst in several competitions.

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Even when Wallace, the team’s star driver, broke his lengthy win drought at Indianapolis last year, his No. 23 Toyota was draped in the colors of Chumba Casino.

Extended Sponsorship Deal for 23XI Racing

After a successful first year, the casino brand has decided to extend its relationship into 2026 as well. This time, the brand will sponsor Reddick and Wallace in different competitions throughout the calendar.

23XI Racing and Chuma Casino’s association will be on display from the very first race of the season, where Reddick is set to pilot his No. 45 Toyota in the popping colors of the latter. This will also mark the debut of a Chumba Casino car in the highly anticipated season opener at the Daytona International Speedway.

The association between both parties will also extend to Wallace for several races throughout the year, including the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

Alongside sponsoring both drivers, the brand also has plans for fans, including giveaways and meet-and-greet opportunities with Reddick and Wallace. The brand’s colors will also feature on the drivers’ firesuits throughout the season.

Ben Whitford, the chief of marketing at Virtual Gaming World, commented on its extended association with 23XI Racing and said, “Our partnership with 23XI Racing had an incredible first year, highlighted by a historic Brickyard 400 win, and we’re excited to build on that momentum in 2026.”

He further added how the sponsorship was a way for the brand to connect with NASCAR fans: “Expanding our presence with Tyler and continuing our support of Bubba allows us to connect with NASCAR fans in bigger and more engaging ways, from on-track moments to unforgettable fan experiences and giveaways. We’re proud to be part of 23XI’s journey and look forward to another exciting season together.”

Steve Lauletta, the team president of 23XI, also briefly spoke about the partnership between the two. He said: “After an exciting first season that included a historic win at the Brickyard, we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Chumba Casino to include more races with Tyler, along with the brand’s ongoing engagement with Bubba. Last year we had a great reception from both Chumba Casino and NASCAR fans, and we look forward to another impactful year of growth and success on and off the track.”

With strong support from the sponsors, both the drivers of 23XI Racing will certainly be eyeing to make a more substantial impact in the upcoming NASCAR season.