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NASCAR Cup team withdraws from Chicago race, second time in 2026

For the second time in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Garage 66 have withdrawn from a race.
Casey Mears, Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports), NASCAR
Casey Mears, Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports), NASCAR | Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports) had planned on making their ninth start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, which hasn't hosted a Cup race since 2019 and where Carl Long's team hadn't competed since 2018.

Josh Bilicki was set to make his second start of the year and first since the May road course race at Watkins Glen International, and Sunday's 267-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Joliet, Illinois oval was supposed to be the team's first race since the late May race at Nashville Superspeedway, where Chad Finchum matched his career-best and the team's season-best finish of 28th.

But that will not be the case.

Garage 66 out for Chicagoland NASCAR Cup race

For the second time in 2026, Garage 66 have withdrawn the No. 66 Ford from a Cup Series entry list. It also happened at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) in February, one week after Casey Mears ended the team's 0-for-7 streak in Daytona 500 qualifying and qualified for the "Great American Race".

Mears, who had been slated to compete at Atlanta, hasn't been back with the team since.

As for beyond this weekend, the plan is for Garage 66 to field the No. 66 car at North Wilkesboro Speedway later this month, Richmond Raceway in August, both Darlington Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway in September, and both Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in October. Drivers for those races have not yet been announced.

Finchum leads all drivers with four starts in the No. 66 car this year, while Timmy Hill, with two, is the only other driver who has made multiple appearances.

Sunday's eero 400 is set to feature just two non-chartered (open) cars, following the withdrawal of Garage 66, meaning there are now 38 cars on the entry list. J.J. Yeley is set to pilot the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet, and Corey Heim is set to pilot the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota for the first time since earning his maiden Cup victory on Naval Base Coronado two weekends ago.

Tune in to TNT at 6:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 5 for the live broadcast of the first Chicagoland NASCAR Cup Series race in seven years. Don't miss any of the action from race number two of the In-Season Challenge!

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