The Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026
I’ll be spending the next 9 or 10 months immersed in the data created by the magnificent NASCAR drivers.
Today is the Daytona 500, which starts in a couple of hours (as I’m writing this). Each season, I do my best to learn the drivers, car numbers, and color schemes for each car. I also have to learn which team each driver represents, and which teams drive Chevys, Fords, and Toyotas. There are approximately 40 cars per race. All this information can be difficult to remember. This is especially true when drivers are injured, sick, or substituted for other reasons.
When I attend races and see the cars in person, I am mesmerized by their artwork. The beauty of their artwork captivates me. In the racing industry, terms like paint schemes describe a car’s paint job. They also refer to the colors used. When the decals are added, the entire look is called the livery. Figure 1 is a picture of today’s collection of cars.
The Drivers and Their Cars
The drivers and their cars are shown in this slideshow. You can use the arrows on the right and left side of the pictures to navigate between the cars.
One thing I find interesting is that most drivers posed with their right knee on the pavement. However, some drivers were squatters or took alternative stances. Most drivers posed in front of the front tire. Another really cool aspect of these shots is that they highlight how the driver’s uniforms match the cars’ color schemes.
Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Busch Light Chevrolet 
Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford 
Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet 
Noah Gragson, driver of the #4 Rush Truck Centers Ford 
Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Castrol Ford 
Daniel Suarez, driver of the #7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet 
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Zone Jalapeno Lime Chevrolet 
Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 
Ty Dillon, driver of the #10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet 
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 National Debt Relief Toyota 
Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Peak Ford 
AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Celsius Chevrolet 
Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Body Guard Ford 
Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota 
Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 DEWALT/Interstate Batteries Toyota. 
Josh Berry, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford 
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford 
Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Xfinity Toyota 
William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor Chevrolet 
Todd Gilliland, driver of the #34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford 
Riley Herbst, driver of the #35 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Toyota 
Chandler Smith, driver of the #36 QuicktieFord 
Zane Smith, driver of the #38 Speedy Cash Ford 
Justin Allgaier, driver of the #40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet 
Cole Custer, driver of the #41 HaasTooling.com Chevrolet 
John H. Nemechek, driver of the #42 Dollar Tree Toyota 
Erik Jones, driver of the #43 AdventHealth Toyota 
JJ Yeley, driver of the #44 Built To Work/Barnett Southern Chevrolet 
Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota 
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #47 Chef Boyardee Chevrolet 
Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet 
Cody Ware, driver of the #51 Jacob Construction Chevrolet 
Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota 
Ryan Preece, driver of the #60 Kroger/Viva Towels Ford 
Anthony Alfredo, driver of the #62 Dude Wipes Chevrolet 
Casey Mears, driver of the #66 SI Yachts/Gracie Foundation Ford 
Corey Heim, driver of the #67 Robinhood Toyota 
Michael McDowell, driver of the #71 Modo Casino Chevrolet 
Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Spectrum Chevrolet 
BJ McLeod, driver of the #78 Superior Logistics Chevrolet 
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #84 Carvana Toyota 
Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 Red Bull Chevrolet 
Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 SuperFile Chevrolet 
Corey LaJoie, driver of the #99 Trimble Ford
Additional Thoughts and Predictions
My favorite color schemes:
8, 1, 97, and 24. The truth is, I like them all. The simplest design is the 78, and in many ways, I love the look of that car. It looks like a clean black hole ready to take flight during the race.
The best mustache:
12 – Ryan Blaney. There are many drivers that rock great beards, however. This season, the biggest surprise for me was Joey Logano sporting the bald look! He looks like he’s ready to rock!
My favorite drivers:
24 – William Byron, 8 – Kyle Busch, 1 – Ross “The Watermelon Man” Chastain, and 97 – SVG. Of course, they are Chevy drivers! My favorites from other teams are: 11- Denny Hamlin, 12 – Ryan Blaney, 22- Joey Logano, and 45 – Tyler Reddick.
My 2026 Predictions:
I have not fired up my prediction engine yet. The last time I ran it was for the 2025 Championship Race in Phoenix. Since I’ve been busy working on the Cadillac F1 project, my NASCAR work has lagged. This season, I need to prioritize making race predictions and using the actual results to improve my predictive engine.
Top 5 (in no particular order): 12, 22, 24, 19, and 11. I will be supporting #24 to make history with his third consecutive victory. He will start the race at the rear of the field due to a practice crash, however. I also fear that the Fords are fast and will be tough to beat!
The next 5 (in no particular order): 5, 8, 1, 45, and 77. My sentimental pick to win is Kyle Busch (8). He is always fast but must avoid the chaos that surely will exist during the race.
Thanks for reading!
The source of the images: (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
