NASCAR driver set to return with new team, first start since 2021
By Asher Fair
Joey Gase competed in select NASCAR Cup Series races each year from 2014 to 2021, but he hasn't been back since.
That is set to change this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. The 31-year-old Cedar Rapids, Iowa native is set to drive the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team in Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400. He is set to compete with primary sponsorship from National Fire Protection Association.
This 160-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval is set to mark Gase's first Cup Series start since the 2021 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Joey Gase returns to NASCAR Cup Series
Though the No. 44 Chevrolet, which has made just three starts this season, is a non-charter entry, it is locked into the 40-car field for Saturday night's race. There are only four non-charter cars on the entry list, along with the 36 charter cars, so nobody will fail to qualify.
Gase has made 90 career Cup Series starts and has recorded three top 20 finishes, all in superspeedway races. His best finish at Daytona is 20th place with Rick Ware Racing in 2021. He also finished in 17th for the team at Talladega Superspeedway in 2020 and 18th for StarCom Racing at the same track in 2018.
He currently competes part-time for Joey Gase Motorsports in the Xfinity Series.
J.J. Yeley is the only driver who has spent any time behind the wheel of the No. 44 Chevrolet so far this season. After he failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 back in February, he competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, and Pocono Raceway in July. He finished in 34th place at Las Vegas and recorded DNFs at the other two tracks.
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NBC is set to provide live coverage of this Saturday evening's Coke Zero Sugar 400 from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV if you have not already done so and don't miss any of the action from the penultimate race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season!
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