This weekend, the ARCA Menards Series is heading to Daytona for the yearly testing and practice session. This is going to be a fun two days where drivers get to test out cars for the first time or hop back in for a quick refresher.

Some drivers might be auditioning for a spot. For others, they are simply knocking the rust off ahead of the 2026 season. There are many different goals and priorities and interests at play.

Things get started on Friday and continue into Saturday. It was just a year ago that Brenden “Butterbean” Queen was at this practice session. He went on to win the ARCA Menards Series championship, of course, in dominant fashion. His teammate last year in this event was Helio Castroneves.

This year, we see the return of Cleetus McFarland, also known by his government name, Garrett Mitchell. Fellow YouTuber, Mitch Stapleton, is also taking part in the practice session for Willie Mullins group.

Nitro Motorsports and Pinnacle Racing Group have the most talent set of drivers. They each boast more than a handful of drivers, and many of them could end up winning races in the 2026 ARCA season.

Other names that NASCAR fans will find familiar, Landon S. Huffman, Carson Brown, Gio Ruggiero, Takuma Koga, and many, many others will also be present for the practice. Check out the full list of drivers and teams here.

The Road to Daytona program is back with a fresh set of drivers. Kody King, Craig Lutz, Hudson Bulger, Albert Francis, Robbie Kennealy, and Brad May are part of the program for 2026. This is a great opportunity for all of them to get experience in these ARCA cars and on a massive track like Daytona.

The 2026 ARCA Menards Series is almost here. Last year, we saw a fair share of great races. Butterbean was dominant most of the season. Could we see more parity in the series this year?