NASCAR team releases cryptic message ahead of 2022 season

A former NASCAR Cup Series team that recently competed full-time for several seasons released a somewhat cryptic message ahead of the 2022 season.

StarCom Racing found themselves as the subject of some of the silly season talk throughout the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, given the fact that the #00 team’s recent finishes in the owner standings would have put them at risk of having their charter repossessed by NASCAR after the 2022 season if they did not finish in the top 33 among the 36 chartered teams.

While the initially reported deal that would have led to them selling their charter to Spire Motorsports for the 2022 season fell through, they ended up selling it anyway.

23XI Racing, which had announced plans to expand from one car to two with the addition of Kurt Busch alongside Bubba Wallace, was confirmed as the buyer.

Spire Motorsports, which sold two of their three charters from 2021 to Kaulig Racing, did end up securing a second charter for 2022 by acquiring one from Rick Ware Racing. Rick Ware Racing downsized from four cars to two for the upcoming season.

And when it was all said and done, StarCom Racing confirmed their departure from the Cup Series after the 2021 season.

The team had not missed a race since they began competing full-time in 2018. They had made their series debut with team co-owner Derrike Cope behind the wheel of the #00 Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway in October 2017.

In 2018, they also fielded a second car in 18 of the 36 races on the schedule. Both cars saw multiple drivers throughout the year. In 2019, Landon Cassill drove full-time, and in 2020 and 2021, it was Quin Houff who competed in every race on the calendar.

But a few days ago, the team posted a picture to their Twitter account for the first time in over a month and a half. The picture includes a light and the words “Coming Soon” underneath.

For reference, here was their most recent tweet prior to this “Coming Soon” picture; it literally pertained to their shutdown.

This most recent tweet has naturally led to some speculation about what “Coming Soon” could mean.

We know that The Money Team Racing are planning to enter this year’s Daytona 500, and they have reportedly secured a car, a sponsor and a driver in Kaz Grala. According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, they are still “working to try to finalize a deal” to make it happen.

Interestingly, the Next Gen car that StarCom Racing tested back in October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval before they closed down was driven by none other than Grala. Could this be the car that The Money Team Racing have acquired for the 23-year-old Boston, Massachusetts native?

The puzzle pieces certainly do all seem to fit together, and the confirmation of this entry would finally bring us to 40 confirmed entries for the “Great American Race”.

The 2022 season is scheduled to unofficially get underway with the Busch Light Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, February 6, and the Next Gen era is officially scheduled to begin with the 64th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 20.