NASCAR team set for back-to-back races after unexpected absence

MBM Motorsports did not compete in the NASCAR Cup Series last year, marking the first season in which they made no starts at the sport's top level since they first entered the sport back in 2017.

They made their long-awaited return at Circuit of the Americas in March, with Timmy Hill behind the wheel of the No. 66 Ford. Hill, the only driver to have ever competed full-time for Carl Long's Cup Series team, had not competed in a race since 2021.

Then David Starr, who also hadn't competed in the Cup Series since 2021, drove the No. 66 Ford at Martinsville Speedway in April before Hill returned for the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May. He did not advance to the All-Star Race, but the team's third appearance in the last two years was still a welcome sight.

Starr was due to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway the following week, but a prior commitment kept him out of the car and led the team to bring in B.J. McLeod, whose own Live Fast Motorsports team no longer competes full-time in the Cup Series.

Starr was then due to compete in the recent inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway earlier this month, but the team made the late decision to withdraw the car. Given that decision, there were some questions about whether or not the team would be able to make all the starts they had planned throughout the remainder of the season.

They never had plans to compete in last weekend's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, so their absence from that event was not alarming. What would have been alarming was if they had missed this weekend's race at Nashville Superspeedway.

MBM Motorsports back for back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series races

But MBM Motorsports are indeed back at Nashville, and with yet another driver who has not competed in the Cup Series since 2021: Chad Finchum.

They have also already announced that Josh Bilicki, who has not made any Cup Series starts yet this season after having competed in select races each year since 2017, is set to drive the No. 66 Ford in next Sunday afternoon's street race in Chicago, Illinois. He is set to become the team's fifth different driver in 2024.

The team have not competed in back-to-back Cup Series points races since the end of the 2021 season, when Hill competed at both Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.

Given the fact that they entered the 2024 season having made just two starts since the end of the 2021 season, both after their two entries were the only two that failed to qualify for the 2022 season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, their plans for the rest of the 2024 season do seem a little bit ambitious.

But if things go smoothly for the team over the next two race weekends, perhaps their withdrawal from the Iowa race will be their only withdrawal of the 2024 campaign.

They plan to compete in the upcoming regular season races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 21 and Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 24, as well as five playoff races at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 21; Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 29; the Charlotte Roval on Sunday, October 13; Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 20; and Phoenix on Sunday, November 10.

They have not confirmed any drivers for any of these seven events.

Both the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway (3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 30) and the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course (4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 7) are set to be broadcast live on NBC, making them the first two NASCAR Cup Series races on NBC this season. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss either event!