Daytona’s Early Pace-Setters: 10 Drivers to Watch from the 2026 ARCA Test
On January 9-10, the sound of engines will once again echo off the empty grandstands at the World Center of Racing. The annual preseason ARCA Test at Daytona International Speedway is here, and while the cameras won’t be rolling and the gates remain closed to the public, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the 79 drivers on the entry list.
For some, this is a routine shake-down. For others, it’s an audition that could define the trajectory of their entire careers. Racing isn’t just about speed. It’s about momentum, funding, and seizing the moment before it passes you by. As we look toward the high banks, here are the ten stories and drivers carrying the most emotional weight into this critical ARCA Test.
The Content Creators Turning Racers
You can’t talk about modern grassroots racing without acknowledging the “YouTuber” effect. But make no mistake, these guys aren’t just here for the views. They want respect.
Garrett Mitchell (Cleetus McFarland)
The “Cleetus McFarland” experiment enters its sophomore year. After a four-race stint in 2025 that saw him snag respectable top-10 finishes at Talladega and Charlotte, Mitchell returns to the cockpit. The novelty is wearing off, and the reality is setting in. Last year, he proved he wouldn’t embarrass himself.
Now, the question changes. Does he want to be a race car driver who makes videos, or a video creator who plays race car driver? This test will reveal his commitment. It’s the first time he’s returning to a track for a second go-round, a crucial measuring stick for any driver’s development.
Mitch Stapleton
Following in Mitchell’s tire tracks is Mitch Stapleton, known online as Stapleton42. His journey from documenting Willie Mullins’ shop to driving for him is the kind of “everyman” story that makes stock car racing so special. Stapleton isn’t coming in blind. He has nine Grand National Super Series starts under his belt.
But Daytona is a different beast. He’s strapping into a machine built by a team that knows superspeedway racing inside and out. For Stapleton, this ARCA Test is about validating that a fan with a dream and a work ethic belongs on the same asphalt as the sport’s rising stars.
The Young Guns and The Restless
For the younger prospects, Daytona is a proving ground. It’s a place to learn patience, draft discipline, and raw speed.
Gavan Boschele
Boschele is a name you need to circle in Sharpie. Slated for 15 races with Nitro Motorsports this year, this test is his classroom. After a lone start at Berlin Raceway last year, he’s jumping into the deep end.
A successful test for Gavan Boschele doesn’t necessarily mean topping the charts. It means earning the pack’s trust. It’s about listening, learning the air, and showing he can run inches from another car without flinching.
Max Reaves
It’s a cruel irony of racing: you can be fast enough to test, but too young to race. Max Reaves won’t be in the Daytona season opener due to age restrictions, but don’t sleep on his lap times. He swept his East starts in 2025 and was a dominant force in the main series.
At this test, he’s paired with Truck Series winner Gio Ruggiero. Watch the stopwatch. If the “kid” can match or beat the established winner, it sends a message to the garage that Reaves is the real deal, waiting in the wings.
Carson Brown
Carson Brown is sitting in the catbird seat. He’s signed a development deal with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and is running for Pinnacle Racing Group, the team that won at Daytona last year.
The pressure is immense. Brown turns 18 in July, meaning he misses the race, but this test is where he builds the notebook for his future. He needs to show RCRthat they made the right investment.
Chasing Redemption and Opportunity
Then there are the veterans, the grinders, and the drivers fighting against the clock or the ledger.
Bobby Dale Earnhardt
The name carries a weight that is impossible to quantify. Bobby Dale Earnhardt likely won’t dominate this test on pure equipment speed. Rise Motorsports has struggled to find the front. But having an Earnhardt on track matters.
It matters to the soul of the sport. His goal is simple but brutal: find enough speed to avoid going home early when qualifying rolls around. He needs a clean, fast test to build momentum for a small team fighting for its life.
Thomas Annunziata
If you are looking for a title favorite, look at the No. 70. Thomas Annunziata has been knocking on the door, and with a championship-winning crew chief in his ear, he’s ready to kick it down.
He finished second here in 2024. He knows the heartbreak of coming close. This test is about fine-tuning a machine capable of finishing the job. He isn’t here to participate; he’s here to set the pace.
Cole Butcher
Time is the one opponent no driver can beat. Cole Butcher turns 30 this August. In a development system obsessed with teenagers, he is an outlier. But talent is talent. The 2025 ASA Stars champion is testing a Ford for Rette Jones Racing.
He has won almost everything in late models. Now, he needs to prove that skill translates to heavy stock cars on a superspeedway. He deserves a shot, but in racing, you often have to force the issue. This test is his hammer.
Ryan Vargas
Vargas is taking on a massive challenge as the anchor driver and operations manager for the new-look Maples Motorsports. They’ve acquired stellar equipment from Rev Racing, but equipment doesn’t drive itself.
Ryan Vargas has to lead this team from the driver’s seat and the shop floor. If he posts fast times, it proves that a small team can buy speed and manage it correctly. It’s a test of leadership as much as driving ability.
Mini Tyrrell
After cutting his teeth in the CARS Tour, Mini Tyrrell is looking for the golden ticket: approval for the Truck Series. He’s connected to a potential open ride, but NASCAR officials need to sign off on him first. This ARCA Test is his final exam. He needs to drive clean, be respectful, and show he can handle the chaos of pack racing. One mistake could derail his plans for the year.
The Reality of the Test: Stats and Facts
Stat: In 2024, the gap between the pole sitter and the 30th-place car was often less than a second. The details found in this test session will determine who makes the show and who goes home.
Fact: The Daytona oval is 2.5 miles long with 31 degrees of banking in the corners.
Stat: 79 drivers are testing, but only 40 will start the race in February. That means nearly half the drivers at this test are fighting for their lives to find speed.
Fact: There is no TV coverage for this event. The only feedback these teams get is from the stopwatch and the driver’s seat.
Onward To Daytona
This preseason session at Daytona is a weird paradox. It’s meaningless for points, yet crucial for momentum. For guys like Cole Butcher, a 30-year-old late model ace, or Mini Tyrrell, looking to secure a Truck Series license, every lap is a job interview.We also have fascinating science projects like Maple Motorsports.
Ryan Vargas is serving as the driver-manager, trying to determine whether buying top-tier equipment translates into immediate speed gains. When the haulers leave Daytona this weekend, we won’t have a race winner, but we will know who did their homework over the winter. The ARCA test is the first chapter of the 2026 story, and it’s going to be a fast one.
