The Daytona 500 entry list has 42 cars on it. With 36 chartered drivers locked in for the season opener, six teams must battle it out for the final four spots in the Great American Race. Former full-time NASCAR driver Greg Biffle could have been among the four drivers in the non-chartered spots at the Daytona International Speedway. However, the 54-year-old has disclosed his withdrawal from the event owing to difficulties in his contract with NY Racing.

Greg Biffle had started in the 2022 Daytona 500 in the No.44 Chevrolet Camaro. He had signed with NY Racing to help the team grow as a future contender for full-time spots in the Cup Series. But since his last appearance in the #44 car, Biffle has found racing with the team increasingly tricky. The situation has taken an unexpected turn with NY Racing hosting the #44 car and hauler with Biffle’s trademark signature for the upcoming weekend.

Greg Biffle denies any connection with NY Racing’s Daytona plans

Biffle had returned to Cup Series action after a six-year sabbatical in 2022. Having driven for NY Racing in five of 2022’s first 10 Cup races, the signs were encouraging. However, the team hasn’t seen a Cup Series race since Talladega in April 2022. Financing is one of the most probable reasons for Biffle opting out of racing for John Cohen’s team. Considering the team’s struggles, untimely arrear payments could have deterred Greg Biffle from returning to the team.

The 19-time Cup race winner clarified the situation through a post on Instagram. He wrote, “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.”

“While I had hoped to be running in the 2024 Daytona 500 this year, that will not be happening. 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. I wish the team all the best and hopefully I will have the opportunity to race again and win this coveted race.”

The news of Greg Biffle’s participation in the Daytona 500 spread through team owner Cohen’s Instagram story. The story showed the No.44 hauler and Chevrolet Camaro with Biffle’s sign on it. This forced the fans to believe the former full-time driver was returning for a 16th Daytona 500 appearance. With the Great American race less than a week away, NY Racing needs to sort the situation before competing with other teams for a spot on the grid.

This isn’t the team’s first tryst with controversy, either. Since the team’s inception, it has struggled to find sponsorships and drivers. Despite its aim to compete in the Cup Series, failures in different aspects have cost the team a lot.

NY Racing has been in NASCAR for more than a decade but failed to grow as a team

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NASCAR fans were excited to know that Greg Biffle would have competed against David Ragan and Jimmie Johnson for the final spots in the Daytona 500. The move would have materialized, if not for NY Racing’s shortcomings. Having been associated with the top flight for a long time, one would expect them to evolve into a competitive part-time team. However, that has not been the case.

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NY Racing made its Cup debut in 2012. Since then, multiple instances of the team being surrounded by controversy have occurred. Most notably, in 2015, the team’s car, truck, and hauler were stolen from a hotel in Atlanta. That incident remains one of the most bizarre occurrences in Cup Series history.

Some fans have even opined that Greg Biffle has been diminishing his legacy as a fan-favorite after his stint with NY Racing. Having won races in all three national competitions, Biffle was one of the drivers that could pop a surprise on his day. From the looks of it, NY Racing hasn’t handled its talents well enough. The team has started in 22 races since 2012, with Biffle being the latest driver.

JJ Yeley, Reed Sorenson, and Timmy Hill are some of the most notable drivers to have raced with the team in its sparsely distributed NASCAR appearances. The No.44 entry for the 2024 Daytona 500 was set to be sponsored by 100 Coconut Water. With Greg Biffle opting out of the race, it remains to be seen if the sponsor exits the team a week before the race.

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