NASCAR veteran returning to Cup after all in 2024, joins new team

Josh Bilicki has not yet competed in any NASCAR Cup Series races this year, but that is set to change this weekend on the street of Chicago, Illinois.

Though he has only once competed full-time at the sport's top level once, that being in 2021 when he drove for Rick Ware Racing, he has competed in the series each year since 2017. That streak is set to extend to eight seasons in Sunday's Grant Park 165 on the Chicago Street Course.

The 29-year-old Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin native is set to compete for MBM Motorsports in Sunday's 75-lap race around the 12-turn, 2.2-mile (3.541-kilometer) temporary street course. Though he competed for Carl Long's team in an Xfinity Series race back in 2017, he has never done so in the Cup Series.

Josh Bilicki set for NASCAR Cup Series return

Bilicki competed in 10 Cup Series races last year, all for Live Fast Motorsports. One of those races was the inaugural race on the streets of Chicago, and he finished that race in a season-high 23rd place.

Despite the fact that he has not yet competed in the Cup Series in 2024, he has kept busy by competing in select races for DGM Racing in the Xfinity Series, and he recently made his debut for Joe Gibbs Racing after signing a part-time deal to compete for the Toyota powerhouse.

Four drivers have driven the No. 66 Ford for MBM Motorsports so far this Cup Series season, including Timmy Hill, David Starr, B.J. McLeod, and most recently Chad Finchum in this past Sunday afternoon's race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Hill is the only one of these four drivers with multiple starts, having competed both at Circuit of the Americas and North Wilkesboro Speedway, though the latter did not host a points races. Starr competed at Martinsville Speedway and McLeod competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

MBM Motorsports, which recently withdrew from the race at Iowa Speedway after planning to enter that event with Starr in the No. 66 Ford, have not yet announced any drivers for beyond this weekend's race, though they do plan to compete in several additional races this season.

They are currently planning to compete in the upcoming regular season races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 21 and Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 24.

In the playoffs, they plan to enter the 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 Raceway on Sunday, November 10.

The Grant Park 165 is set to be broadcast live on NBC from the Chicago Street Course beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 7. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss the second ever NASCAR Cup Series street race!