After unfortunately failing to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway for the third consecutive season behind the wheel of the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team, J.J. Yeley returned for the following weekend's race at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway).
But beyond that, he didn't return until this past weekend's race at Michigan International Speedway, a race he finished in a respectable 21st place. It marked the third-best finish in team history.
The 12-race absence between the Atlanta and Michigan races marked Yeley's longest Cup Series absence since 2019, when he opened up the season without running any of the first 13 races. NY Racing Team did enter the No. 44 Chevrolet between the Atlanta and Michigan events, as Joey Gasey ran it at Talladega Superspeedway in April.
Yeley does have plans to return later this season, but not until the race at Chicagoland Speedway, where the Cup Seires hasn't raced since 2019, in early July.
This weekend at Pocono Raceway, the No. 44 Chevrolet is not on the entry list.
J.J. Yeley, NY Racing Team out at Pocono
There are just two non-chartered (open) cars on the entry list for Sunday's 160-lap Great American Getaway around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Long Pond, Pennsylvania oval, so both of them are locked into the race without running the risk of failing to qualify.
Casey Mears is set to drive the No. 62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports, a team finally locked into a Cup race after opening their season with back-to-back DNQs, while Daniel Dye is set to drive the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports, a team that most recently competed in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as a part of Katherine Legge's historic Memorial Day Double attempt.
The No. 44 car was the only open car that competed at Michigan.
The Great American Getaway 400 is set to be shown live on Amazon Prime Video from Pocono Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 14. Don't miss any of the action from the "Tricky Triangle"!
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