Well, it looks as though we’re living through another chapter in the saga of NY Racing.
For the first time since the 2022 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, the organization has appeared on the entry list for a NASCAR Cup Series event, with the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro being listed on the preliminary entry list for the Daytona 500, albeit driverless.
It didn’t take long for images — taken from a video posted to the Instagram story of John Cohen — to begin circulating on social media, with shots of the NY Racing hauler going public with a view of the No. 44 Chevrolet on the side, carrying the name of Greg Biffle.
That prompted Biffle, a 19-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, to chime in on the matter, releasing a statement on Instagram Monday that states that he will not be competing for NY Racing — or any team, for that matter — in the 2024 Daytona 500.
“It has come to my attention that images of a hauler and car with my name and signature on the side of it have been released,” the statement reads. “While I had hoped to be running in the 2024 Daytona 500 this year — that will not be happening.”
TobyChristie.com has reached out to NY Racing for additional details surrounding its effort in the 2024 Daytona 500, but as of the time of publishing, has yet to receive a response. However, at this junction, NASCAR’s preliminary entry list still shows the No. 44 without a driver.
The statement continues: “Due to unfulfilled contract obligations from 2022 for myself and the team, I have made a hard decision to not participate in any races, until the prior contract obligations have been fulfilled,” Biffle continued. “I wish the team all the best and hopefully I will have the opportunity to race again and win this coveted race.”
After a six-year hiatus, Biffle made his return to competition in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, piloting the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro in five of the opening 10 events for NY Racing, scoring a best finish of 20th-place at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.
However, after the April event at Talladega Superspeedway – where NY Racing randomly pivoted crew chiefs from Jay Guy to Brad Means – the No. 44 Chevrolet stopped coming to the racetrack, and hasn’t attempted to qualify for another event since.
There has been a substantial amount of turbulence surrounding the John Cohen-owned team since it debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2012. Most notable of which was an incident in 2015, when the team was scheduled to compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but couldn’t after the car, truck, and hauler were all stolen from a hotel parking lot.
Over the last decade, NY Racing has made 22 starts at NASCAR’s top level, qualifying for events with David Reutimann, Scott Riggs, Timmy Hill, JJ Yeley, Reed Sorenson, and Greg Biffle. In that time, the team had a best finish of 20th place, coming with Biffle at Atlanta in 2022.
At this time, it’s still unknown who will pilot the No. 44 100 Coconut Water Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway. However, the vehicle has an entry submitted and appears to be ready to travel to Daytona Beach, Florida.
