NASCAR driver set to return with new team, first start since 2021

As a gamer who has lived and breathed NASCAR for as long as I can remember, I’m thrilled to see Joey Gase making his return to the NASCAR Cup Series after an absence of two years! I’ve watched this man race at Daytona before, and let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like seeing those cars zoom around that high-banked oval.

From the years 2014 to 2021, Joey Gase participated in certain NASCAR Cup Series events annually. However, he hasn’t returned for any races since then.

As a long-time NASCAR fan who has attended races at Daytona International Speedway multiple times, I’m beyond excited to witness history being made this weekend. The young, talented driver from Cedar Rapids, Iowa is about to take on one of the most iconic tracks in racing, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team. With primary sponsorship from National Fire Protection Association, he’s ready to compete in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.

The upcoming 160-lap race on the four-cornered, 4.023-kilometer high-banked racetrack in Daytona Beach, Florida is all set to be Gase’s first Cup Series competition since the final race of the 2021 season at Phoenix Raceway.

Joey Gase returns to NASCAR Cup Series

Despite only making three appearances this season and not being a chartered car, the No. 44 Chevrolet is guaranteed a spot in the 40-car field for Saturday’s race. Since there are just four non-chartered cars on the roster, along with the 36 chartered ones, no driver will miss qualifying.

As a racer, I’ve clocked up 90 starts in the Cup Series and managed to snag three top 20 finishes, all of them coming from those heart-pounding superspeedway races. My best run so far was at Daytona in 2021 where I ended up in 20th place with Rick Ware Racing. The year before that, with the same team, I managed a 17th place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. And way back in 2018, I notched up an 18th place finish for StarCom Racing at the very same track.

He currently competes part-time for Joey Gase Motorsports in the Xfinity Series.

So far this season, only J.J. Yeley has had a turn driving the No. 44 Chevrolet. Unfortunately, he didn’t qualify for the Daytona 500 in February. However, he raced at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, and Pocono Raceway in July. His results weren’t ideal: he came in 34th at Las Vegas, and had non-finishes (DNFs) at the other two tracks.

Tune into NBC this Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET for live coverage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 from Daytona International Speedway, the penultimate race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Don’t forget to sign up for a free trial of FuboTV if you haven’t already, so you won’t miss any of the action!

2024-08-21 15:02