NASCAR driver, team returning for first race since Atlanta

Live Fast Motorsports scaled back to a part-time schedule for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season after operating with a charter in their first three seasons in the sport.

Despite selling their charter to Spire Motorsports over the offseason, they still showed up to the 2024 season's first two races, first the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and then for the following weekend's race, another superspeedway race, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Team co-owner B.J. McLeod attempted to qualify the No. 78 Chevrolet for the "Great American Race", but he ended up being one of two drivers left on the outside looking in. Without needing to worry about simply locking into the field at Atlanta, he finished in 24th place after starting in 36th.

Neither Live Fast Motorsports nor McLeod have not been back in a Cup Series race since, and McLeod's Xfinity Series team, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, even scaled back from full-time competition to part-time competition as well after the season's fourth race at Phoenix Raceway in March.

Live Fast Motorsports, B.J. McLeod returning at Talladega

Now Live Fast Motorsports and McLeod are set to return to the Cup Series for this Sunday afternoon's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

There are just two non-charter cars entered into this 188-lap race around the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked Lincoln, Alabama oval this weekend, so the No. 78 Chevrolet is locked into the race.

The other non-charter entry is the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet, which hasn't made an appearance since the Daytona 500 when Anthony Alfredo successfully qualified for the race and finished in 27th place. Alfredo, who competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Our Motorsports, is set to be back competing for Beard Motorsports this weekend.

Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to host the GEICO 500 this Sunday, April 21, with live coverage set to begin on Fox at 3:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss it!