PREVIEW: A new NASCAR season dawns with a radically different field on a legendary track

by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief

IMAGE: Wood Brothers Racing, @woodbrothers21

Sunday, February 2, 2025 (6:00 P.M. ET, FS1)

CUP Exhibition Race

Busch Light Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium

2024 Last-Place Finisher (L.A. Coliseum): Todd Gilliland

ENTRY LIST

As the new season dawns, the Busch Clash will now see open teams attempt to qualify for the first time since the event left Daytona in 2022. In total, 39 drivers, including three open teams, will attempt to make the 200-lap main event on Sunday. The four 25-lap heat races will be held Saturday night starting at 5:30 P.M. ET., followed by the Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday at 6:00 P.M. ET before the 200-lap main at 8:00 P.M. ET.

TEAM CLOSED: #4-Stewart-Haas Racing

NEW TEAM: #4-Front Row Motorsports

TEAM CLOSED: #10-Stewart-Haas Racing

TEAM CLOSED: #14-Stewart-Haas Racing

DRIVER CHANGE: #19-Joe Gibbs Racing

DRIVER CHANGE: #21-Wood Brothers Racing

NEW TEAM: #35-23XI Racing

NEW TEAM: #88-Trackhouse Racing

The monumental collapse of Stewart-Haas Racing last season has singlehandedly restructured a significant portion of the field for 2025. Three of the four charters have been sold to other teams, including one each to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports as the result of the latest developments in their ongoing lawsuit against NASCAR. Both teams’ Charters for all three entries will be active through this season. The former SHR #4 is now FRM’s third car – also the #4 – with Noah Gragson moving over from SHR’s closed #10. Josh Berry, who drove the #4 last year, makes the move to the Wood Brothers in place of Harrison Burton, who will now compete in the XFINITY Series. Berry will run a special throwback scheme to the Wood family’s 1937 Ford “Backseater,” honoring the team’s history at Bowman Gray Stadium and kicking off the team’s diamond anniversary. The #10 charter goes to 23XI, bringing over one of SHR’s XFINITY drivers in Riley Herbst for his first full-time season, now in the #35. The #14 Charter leaves the Ford camp to bring Trackhouse their third entry, the #88, as Shane Van Gisbergen steps up to full-time Cup racing in 2025. Southern 500 winner Chase Briscoe, previously in the #14, takes the place of Martin Truex, Jr. in the Joe Gibbs Racing #19. While Truex has stepped away from full-time driving, he is already entered in the Daytona 500 in TRICON Garage’s first Cup attempt.

NUMBER CHANGE / DRIVER CHANGE: #10-Kaulig Racing

The second Kaulig Racing entry, formerly the #31 piloted by Daniel Hemric, is now renumbered as the #10, made available after the closure of SHR. Jumping on board for the Clash is a returning Ty Dillon, who made five of his seven Cup starts last year with Kaulig, most recently last fall’s 21st-place showing in Kansas. Dillon will now be the team’s full-time driver – his first since he drove for Legacy Motor Club in 2022 – and has secured sponsorship for 29 of the season’s 36 points-paying races.

TEAM UPDATE / DRIVER CHANGE: #15-Rick Ware Racing

TEAM UPDATE / DRIVER CHANGE: #41-Haas Factory Team

TEAM UPDATE: #47-Hyak Motorsports

RETURNING: #60-RFK Racing

The fourth SHR Charter, the #41, remains in the hands of SHR co-owner Gene Haas, who reassumes control of the operation and brings SHR’s other XFINITY driver, Cole Custer, back to Cup for the first time since 2023. Haas will also field two XFINITY entries of his own for Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed. Ryan Preece, who drove the #41 last year, makes the move to RFK Racing to drive their own new third entry, the #60 Ford. What was originally RFK’s “Stage 60” entry for special events will now be a full-time effort thanks to the Charter leased from Rick Ware Racing’s #15 entry, most recently driven by Kaz Grala. Ware will still field that #15 this week with Tim Brown – RWR’s suspension and drivetrain specialist, who also happens to be the all-time winningest driver in the history of Bowman Gray Stadium. Brown’s first laps in a Cup Series car will see him carry sponsorship from Dairi-O, Jerry Hunt, and Hayes. Preece’s deal was greatly helped by the acquisition of sponsor Kroger, which came over from JTG-Daugherty Racing’s #47. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. remains the driver of that #47, which is now rebranded as Hyak Motorsports.

DRIVER CHANGE: #16-Kaulig Racing

Like teammate Ty Dillon, A.J. Allmendinger will also return to full-time Cup competition, his for the first time since 2023. He remains in the Kaulig #16 which he raced in 16 events last year and most recently came home 25th in the season finale at Phoenix in the hands of Derek Kraus.

DRIVER SWAP: #34-Front Row Motorsports

DRIVER SWAP: #38-Front Row Motorsports

DRIVER SWAP: #71-Spire Motorsports

Michael McDowell ends his tenure at Front Row Motorsports and joins Spire Motorsports in the #71, moving Zane Smith back to FRM in the #38 ride he previously shared with Todd Gilliland in 2023. Gilliland will now move to FRM’s primary #34 as both teammates welcome Noah Gragson in the previously-mentioned #4.

MISSING: #44-NY Racing Team

Fresh off a XFINITY Series test for the Joey Gase Motorsports effort at Rockingham, J.J. Yeley is not entered following his 35th-place run for the Cohen effort in Phoenix, but is expected to attempt the Daytona 500.

DRIVER CHANGE: #50-Team AmeriVet

Modified driver Burt Myers will attempt his first Cup Series race with Citrusafe Cleaners on the #50 Chevrolet, most recently driven to a 38th-place finish by Jeb Burton in last fall’s championship race at Phoenix. Like Tim Brown in the RWR #15, Myers boasts multiple track championships at Bowman Gray, his in the Modified division. Tony Eury, Jr. will serve as his crew chief.

DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing

After his return to competition last summer, Cody Ware will return full-time in the #51 this season, taking the place of late season driver swap Corey LaJoie. LaJoie has already secured sponsorship to run the Daytona 500 in still another RWR entry, the #01, which is not entered this week.

TEAM UPDATE / DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Garage 66

While “Motorsports Business Management” will remain the branding for his XFINITY Series team, Carl Long has rebranded his Cup effort as “Garage 66,” complete with a new wrap for the team’s hauler. The team will also attempt this week’s Clash, putting Garrett Smithley in for Phoenix 36th-place finisher Chad Finchum.

MISSING: #84-Legacy Motor Club

Jimmie Johnson – now the majority owner of LMC – is not entered following his 26th-place showing last fall in Phoenix, but will attempt both the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 as he seeks to reach 700 Cup Series starts.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

CUP Exhibition Races

Duels at Daytona

2024 Last-Place Finishers: Daniel Hemric (Race 1), Noah Gragson (Race 2)

Daytona comes next! The Entry List Storylines will return in two weeks.

TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (January 31, 1934): This is the birthday of NASCAR driver Brownie King, who made 98 Cup Series starts from 1956 through 1961. Among these were four Cup races at Bowman Gray Stadium, where he finished under power each time and scored a best run of 12th on March 30, 1959 – a 200-lap race won by Jim Reed, who started 20th in a field of 24. Bobby Waddell scored his first career last-place finish that day with rear end trouble on his Pontiac after 11 laps.