NASCAR Cup Series

2022 Daytona 500: Ranking the field of 42 driver entries

Published Feb. 15, 2022 10:37 a.m. ET

By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In some ways, you can’t go wrong in picking the Daytona 500. The nature of superspeedway racing is that anyone around at the end of the race has a chance to win it.

A good car can win the Daytona 500 because the high banking and restricted speeds (so the cars don’t easily get airborne) result in cars running in the pack, and handling in the aerodynamic draft — the pull and increased speeds the cars get from moving in a line together — is as important as anything else.

In other ways, you are very likely to go wrong in picking the Daytona 500. After all, there is only one winner in the 40-car field.

There are 42 entries expected for NASCAR’s biggest race, and here is a look at handicapping the field, ranked from No. 1 through 42.

The favorites

These drivers have the best chance to win the Daytona 500.

1. Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota): Hamlin is the only driver in the field with more than one Daytona 500 trophy. He has three Daytona 500 victories, with all coming in the past six races. He also has four consecutive top-5s in the event.

2. Joey Logano (Team Penske, No. 22 Ford): The 2015 winner, Logano is known as a solid superspeedway (Daytona and Talladega) racer and was leading when his teammate, Brad Keselowski, wrecked him on the final lap a year ago. But Logano needs to get to the finish; he has four DNFs in the past six superspeedway races.

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Joey Logano holds off Kyle Busch in the last five laps to win the Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 6. "This was an amazing event," he says. "Congratulations, NASCAR. This is such a huge step in our industry."

3. Ryan Blaney (Team Penske, No. 12 Ford): The Daytona 500 runner-up in 2017 and 2020, Blaney won at Daytona in August. He has won three of the past nine superspeedway races and has had top-10s in three of the other six.

Did it before, can do it again

These former Daytona 500 winners have a good shot to add a second 500 victory to their trophy case.

4. Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford): Harvick’s win came back in 2007, but his recent record — two consecutive top-5s in the 500 — shows that he avoids trouble and is there at the end. How much so? He has been running at the finish in his past five Daytona races, which is not an easy feat.

5. Kurt Busch (23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota): The 2017 winner has four consecutive finishes of 22nd or worse in the Daytona 500. But Busch has renewed energy this season, with his move to 23XI Racing, and he will have some loyal friends from the Toyota camp who will draft with him.

6. Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet): Dillon has four top-10s — and a win in 2018 — in his past eight Daytona 500 starts. He was third a year ago and top-5 in each of the stages. He loves this style of racing and often is able to stay up front in them.

Due for a win

These veterans have done everything but win the Daytona 500.

7. Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford): In his first year as a driver-owner, Keselowski is determined to revitalize the Roush organization. He won last year at Talladega. But for the 2012 Cup champion, the Daytona 500 hasn’t been his jam: Keselowski has seven consecutive finishes of 12th or worse in the race.

8. Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota): The 2017 Cup champion is 0-for-67 on superspeedways, the worst record of any active driver. He has finished 18th or worse in seven of his past nine Daytona races. On the plus side, he finished second in the 500 in 2016, losing by inches to Hamlin.

9. Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota): Busch hasn’t won at Daytona since July 2008 and has 10 consecutive finishes of 14th or worse on superspeedways. But no one would blink an eye if the two-time Cup champion won the first race in the Next Gen car. Busch has 59 Cup wins, the most of any driver who has not won the Daytona 500.

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Popular and prepared

These fan favorites have superspeedway wins on their résumés.

10. Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet): Elliott finished second in the Daytona 500 last year, the first time he finished better than 14th. He also was second at Daytona in August 2020. The sport’s most popular driver won at Talladega in April 2019.

11. Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota): Wallace is the most recent superspeedway winner, having captured the victory at Talladega last fall, the first victory by a Black driver at NASCAR’s top level since Wendell Scott won in 1963. Wallace was second in the 2018 Daytona 500 (his first Daytona 500), but he has had three finishes of 15th or worse since then.

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12. William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet): Byron recorded the biggest win of his career when he captured the August 2020 race at Daytona. In his past five Daytona races, he has two top-2 finishes and three finishes of 26th or worse. If he wins, seeing that No. 24 car in victory lane will bring back a lot of memories for Jeff Gordon fans.

Superspeedway solid

These drivers have also won at superspeedways, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them win again.

13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing, No. 47 Chevrolet): Stenhouse has two career victories: in 2017 at Talladega and in the summer Daytona race. He loves this type of racing, but the lack of a teammate could hurt.

14. Erik Jones (Petty GMS Motorsports, No. 43 Chevrolet): Yes, it’s a new organization, but Jones returns for a second year under the Petty name. He won at Daytona in July 2018 and was third in the 2019 Daytona 500, but he does have five consecutive finishes of 11th or worse at Daytona.

15. Aric Almirola (Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 10 Ford): Almirola won at Daytona in July 2014 and was leading on the final lap in 2018 before Austin Dillon turned him as Almirola attempted to block. He has finished outside the top 10 in his past four Daytona 500s, and he has six consecutive finishes of 14th or worse on superspeedways.

Knocking on the door?

These are solid drivers but not necessarily superspeedway aces.

16. Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet): Putting the defending Cup champion this low is a total insult. Larson has three consecutive top-10s in the Daytona 500, but his best career finish in the race is seventh. He failed to finish only twice in races last year — both at superspeedways.

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17. Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet): Bowman knows what it’s like to start on the Daytona 500 pole, but he has no top-10s in five career Daytona 500 starts. He has four finishes of 14th or worse in his past five superspeedway races.

18. Chris Buescher (RFK Racing, No. 17 Ford): Buescher was third in the 2020 Daytona 500 but has four DNFs in six career Daytona 500 starts. If he gets to the finish, he tends to be in the top-10. But as for most drivers, that’s a big if.

Anything can happen

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19. Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet): He hasn’t finished better than 27th in three Daytona 500 starts but was fifth at Daytona in August. He has three finishes of seventh or better in the past five superspeedway races. Reddick is known for his gutsy moves, so he probably will end up on the wrecker or near the front.

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20. Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet): Chastain was seventh in the 2021 Daytona 500 and has two career top-10s in three Daytona 500 starts. But he has three consecutive finishes outside the top-15 at superspeedways. He will have a teammate in Daniel Suarez, but Chastain will need to have a fast car for others to make moves with him.

21. Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota): He has two Daytona 500 starts, with a best of 16th, and he hasn’t finished better than 13th in his four starts at Daytona. But Bell has shown he has the element of surprise: He won on the Daytona road course last year.

Superspeedway solid ... but

These drivers are solid on superspeedways, but whether their teams could win is questionable.

22. Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports, No. 34 Ford): The reigning Daytona 500 champion this far down the list? Yes. He led only one lap in last year's race (the final one) and was 0-for-357 in Cup races before then. His team has three victories in 1,151 starts.

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Michael McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500 after Joey Logano made contact with Brad Keselowski out front, causing them to spin out and wreck the field. McDowell maneuvered past for the victory.

23. Justin Haley (Kaulig Racing, No. 31 Chevrolet): Haley won in an upset in a rain-shortened event in July 2019 at Daytona, thanks to pit strategy. Kaulig Racing has proven quite effective in the Xfinity Series at Daytona and won the Cup race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course last year with AJ Allmendinger. Haley finished 13th in the 2021 Daytona 500 driving for the team, while Kaz Grala was sixth at Talladega. But to win the Daytona 500 in the team's 11th race on the circuit? That would be a lot to ask.

24. David Ragan (Rick Ware Racing, No. 15 Ford): Rick Ware Racing has no wins and one top-5 finish in 446 starts. Ragan has two wins in 472 starts, but those wins came at Daytona and Talladega.

Buckets of experience, thimble chance

These drivers have plenty of Daytona starts, but their chances to win appear slim.

25. Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet): Suarez has four Daytona 500 starts and has not finished better than 29th. He has nine career Cup starts at Daytona and an average finish of 30th. He has been running at the finish in just one of his nine Daytona starts and has 13 consecutive finishes of 12th or worse on superspeedways.

26. Landon Cassill (Spire Motorsports, No. 77 Chevrolet): This will be Cassill’s sixth Daytona 500 start and his first since 2019. He has never finished in the top-10 in 16 starts at Daytona and has an average finish of 24th at the track.

27. Greg Biffle (NY Racing, No. 44 Chevrolet): Biffle won the 2013 summer race at Daytona and has 14 starts in the Daytona 500. But this team was assembled just weeks prior to the Daytona 500, and while Biffle is decent at Daytona, it is difficult to see him as a contender.

Surprise, surprise

One of these drivers winning the Daytona 500 would be a mild upset.

28. Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 14 Ford): As a rookie last year, Briscoe finished 19th in the Daytona 500 and didn’t post a top-10 finish on superspeedways. Given Briscoe's roots in dirt racing, Daytona is not expected to be the site of his first career win.

29. Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports, No. 7 Chevrolet): This will be LaJoie’s sixth Daytona 500, and he has back-to-back top-10s. He will hang back in the race and try to sneak his way to the front late in the event. Whether he can get a push for the win, though, remains to be seen.

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30. Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 Ford): Custer has competed in the Daytona 500 twice and was 11th a year ago. He has one career top-10 at superspeedways, a 10th at Talladega.

Bigger surprise, surprise

One of these drivers winning would be a certifiable upset.

31. Daniel Hemric (Kaulig Racing, No. 16 Chevrolet): Hemric finished 34th in his one appearance in the Daytona 500 (in 2019) and has just one top-5 in seven Xfinity starts at the track.

32. Austin Cindric (Team Penske, No. 2 Ford): Cindric was caught up in a crash on the final lap of the 2021 Daytona 500 (and still finished 15th) the day after he won the 2021 Xfinity season opener at the track. The chances of Cindric getting a good push to the front are unlikely, as the Cup drivers will need to develop more confidence in him.

33. Ty Dillon (Petty GMS Motorsports, No. 42 Chevrolet): Dillon didn’t make any friends at the preseason Clash, and you need friends to be successful at Daytona. He has one top-10 in six Daytona 500 starts.

Huge surprise

So you’re saying there’s a chance? (Yes, but it's oh, so small.)

34. Noah Gragson (Beard Motorsports, No. 62 Chevrolet): This team did not make the Daytona 500 last year, it could have trouble making it this year, and it hasn’t competed in more than a year. That isn’t a winning formula for Gragson, who would be making his Cup debut if he makes the field.

35. Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers, No. 21 Ford): Burton has one Cup start, a 20th-place finish last year at Talladega. He’ll need more experience in a Cup car to win the 500.

36. Jacques Villeneuve (Team Hezeberg, No. 27 Ford): The former Formula 1 champion would be making his fifth Cup start and first since 2013. Even for someone with his talent, winning would be a long shot in the first Cup race for this organization.

Have to see it to believe it

These drivers would force you to do a double-take if you saw one of their names come across the ticker as the Daytona 500 winner.

37. Kaz Grala (The Money Team Racing, No. 50 Chevrolet): In the debut for the team that has Floyd Mayweather as a partner, Grala would need a lot of magic to capture the win (he might not even qualify for the race). Grala did, however, win a truck race at Daytona in 2017.

38. Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports, No. 38 Ford): Gilliland is making his first Cup start with 93 truck races of experience. He didn’t have a top-10 finish in his three truck races at Daytona.

39. BJ McLeod (Live Fast Motorsports, No. 78 Ford): McLeod can definitely hang around and finish. He was ninth at Daytona last summer, but that was the first time in five Daytona races that he finished on the lead lap. This will be his fourth Daytona 500 start.

Have to see a replay to believe it

Everyone has a chance, but one of these drivers winning? That's the longest of long shots.

40. Timmy Hill (Motorsports Business Management, No. 66 Ford): Hill was 27th in the Daytona 500 last year. He has enough experience to handle the draft, but even making the race could be a challenge.

41. JJ Yeley (Motorsports Business Management, No. 55 Ford): Yeley, a veteran and teammate to Hill, was able to put this deal together in the past month. If he makes the race, it would be his first Daytona 500 start since 2015.

42. Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing, No. 51 Ford): Ware has competed in two Daytona 500s, with 21st as his best finish. The team has improved equipment this year, thanks to a Stewart-Haas alliance, but Ware’s best career Cup finish is 19th (at Talladega in 2020).

Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!