After missing qualification for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway for the third consecutive year, J.J. Yeley returned to competition behind the wheel of the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Despite the No. 44 car being one of only two non-chartered vehicles entered, Yeley secured his position for the race, marking the beginning of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season and his tenth consecutive season, bringing his overall total to 22 seasons in Cup Series racing.
Race Conditions and Yeley’s Performance at Atlanta
The race, extended into overtime and lasting 271 laps on the 1.54-mile, four-turn superspeedway in Hampton, Georgia, saw high attrition with 28 out of 38 drivers involved in incidents during the event. Yeley was initially among the drivers who avoided trouble, but after falling laps behind, he ultimately finished in 31st place due to a DNF (Did Not Finish).
NY Racing’s Future Plans and COTA Entry Status
NY Racing Team appears poised to continue taking a part-time, race-by-race approach throughout the NASCAR Cup Series season, following a similar strategy to previous years. Presently, the team has not confirmed any additional races for the No. 44 Chevrolet beyond Atlanta, leaving their schedule uncertain. Notably, the No. 44 car is absent from the entry list for the upcoming race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
Open Cars and Debut at the Circuit of the Americas Event
Besides the No. 44, the only other open, non-chartered car that competed at Atlanta, the No. 78 Chevrolet fielded by Live Fast Motorsports and driven by B.J. McLeod, will also not participate at COTA. The sole open car scheduled for Sunday’s 95-lap DuraMAX Grand Prix on the 17-turn, 2.4-mile road course is the No. 33 Chevrolet from Richard Childress Racing. This car will make its first appearance of the season with reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love, who is set to make his NASCAR Cup Series road course debut.
Broadcast Information for the COTA Race
Fox will provide live coverage of the DuraMAX Grand Prix at COTA starting at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 1. Fans interested in watching can access the race by starting a free trial of FuboTV.
“It is widely expected that NY Racing Team plan on doing this year what they did in 2024 and 2025, and that is taking a week-by-week approach to a part-time schedule.” ?Anonymous, Team Insider
