As the reviews of the full-time chartered Cup teams near an end, we also will be looking at some of the smaller teams making a go of it. NY Racing Team and owner Jonathan Cohen returned to the Cup Series in 2022, running partial schedules the last 3 seasons. Not having much in the way of funding, the team did what they could with race by race sponsorship if it was acquired.Â
#44 Chevrolet (J.J. Yeley & Joey Gase)
2024 Crew Chief:Â Jay Guy
2024 Season Grade:Â C-
| Race | Track | Start | Finish | Driver | Laps | Reason Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daytona 500 | DNQ | J.J. Yeley | |||
| 3 | Las Vegas | 37 | 34 | J.J. Yeley | 261/267 | Running |
| 14 | Charlotte | 40 | 40 | J.J. Yeley | 114/249 | Steering |
| 21 | Pocono | 37 | 35 | J.J. Yeley | 112/160 | Fuel Pump |
| 25 | Daytona | 39 | 20 | Joey Gase | 164/164 | Running |
| 27 | Atlanta | 37 | 23 | J.J. Yeley | 266/266 | Running |
| 30 | Kansas | 36 | 37 | J.J. Yeley | 118/267 | Electrical |
| 31 | Talladega | 40 | 27 | J.J. Yeley | 193/195 | Running |
| 34 | Homestead | 37 | 38 | J.J. Yeley | 223/267 | Accident |
| 36 | Phoenix | 37 | 35 | J.J. Yeley | 306/312 | Running |
NY Racing Team returned to the Cup Series this past season looking to continue to build their program, while also searching for sponsorship. The Daytona 500 did not go as planned, with driver and series veteran J.J. Yeley was forced to go home after missing the field. Following the DNQ from Daytona, the #44 team returned in Las Vegas, where Yeley would make the race and finish 34th with Urban Youth Racing School on the hood.
The team would take a hiatus until the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, where the #44 Chevrolet would finish 40th, going to the garage after 114 laps. Yeley would make a handful of additional starts through out the season, with solid finishes of 23rd (Atlanta) and 27th (Talladega).
In all, Yeley would make eight starts with the team and have an average finish of 33rd, with four DNFs.
- Joey Gase:Â Xfinity Series owner-driver Joey Gase made his solo Cup Series start of 2024 during the summer with the #44 team. Bringing sponsor National Fire Protection Association on board, Gase would score the teams best finish of the season. Qualifying 39th, Gase would go on to finish on the lead lap in 20th. Gase has 91 Cup Series starts to his credit dating back to 2014.
Joey Gase with NFPA on board at Daytona (courtesy of Jayski and Joel Bray)
2025 Outlook: There is no current information on 2025 plans as of yet, but the team could possibly return. Running a limited schedule with a handful of one race sponsorships is a huge detriment for any team, let alone one with an already small budget. If Yeley and longtime crew chief Jay Guy return to the team, some possible steps forward can be taken.Â