Garage 66 became just the third team to fail to qualify for a NASCAR Cup Series race other than the Daytona 500 since November 2018 when Gray Gaulding, who hadn't made any Cup Series appearances since June 2023, was unable to qualify for this year's regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway two weekends ago.
The Carl Long-owned team returned the following weekend for the postseason opener at Darlington Raceway, where the No. 66 Ford was locked into the Cook Out Southern 500 as one of only two non-chartered (open) cars on the entry list. Chad Finchum drove the car but was knocked out due to a suspension issue, resulting in a 38th (last) place DNF.
However, the No. 66 car is not on the entry list for this weekend's race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. In fact, for just the fifth time this season (and only the fourth on an oval), there are no open cars on the entry list for Sunday's 240-lap race around the four-turn, 1.25-mile (2.012-kilometer) Madison, Illinois oval.
Garage 66 not competing at Gateway, return date set
Garage 66 plan to run four more races between now and the end of the season, and they have confirmed drivers for three.
Josh Bilicki, who drove the No. 66 car at Watkins Glen International and Richmond Raceway, is set to run the race at Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend, and Gaulding is set to return for the October race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the November race at Martinsville Speedway as he aims to officially end his Cup absence of over three years.
The team have yet to confirm a driver for the October race at Talladega Superspeedway, but they do plan to compete in it.
Finchum, who leads all drivers with seven starts in the No. 66 car so far this season, competed for the team at Talladega in late April and led laps en route to a 28th place finish, a new career-high result which he matched at Nashville Superspeedway in late May.
Timmy Hill has also made two starts this season, while Casey Mears, who has since been competing for Beard Motorsports, made one.
USA Network's live coverage of the Enjoy Illinois 300 is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, September 13. Tune in and don't miss any of the action from the second playoff race of the 2026 season at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway!
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