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When the Daytona 500 entry list was released, a surprise last-minute entry from NY Racing popped up with the driver listed as TBA. Many speculated that Greg Biffle could be tabbed for the ride after this video featuring Biffle’s name on the NY Racing hauler made the rounds on social media. However, Biffle denied those rumors in a lengthy Instagram post, citing “Unfulfilled contract obligations from 2022 for myself and the team.” With Biffle out of the picture under mysterious and potentially shady circumstances, who is the best candidate for the NY Racing ride in the 2024 Daytona 500?
J.J. Yeley, who was one of the drivers we predicted would be a candidate for the ride, will attempt the Daytona 500 for NY Racing. He has made 7 starts for the team in his career, with his best finish being 34th at Sonoma in 2014. It will be his first start for the team since 2018.
In 2023, Yeley spent the season driving for Rick Ware Racing in 26 races. He recorded his first top-10 in 10 seasons in July at Atlanta. He also made 4 Xfinity Series starts, failing to finish any of them.
ORIGINAL POST BELOW
Matt DiBenedetto has taken hit after hit the entire Silly Season cycle. He was released from Rackley W.A.R. 3 races early, teased a potential sponsorship deal and later said that he had to back out because the sponsor lied to him. Chris Rice went on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, as we cover in the article above, and many speculated that DiBenedetto had the potential to end up at Kaulig Racing. We’ll let you be the judge of that.
Regardless, if DiBenedetto wants to race, he is desperate to find any sort of ride he can hop into. While NY Racing may not be the best equipment, it is a Daytona 500 entry, which is a big deal. Given that DiBenedetto may not have to bring much funding to make it happen, he may say yes should he be approached.
J.J. Yeley caught up with Matt Weaver of Sportsnaut at the Chili Bowl, and Yeley teased that he had plans to race in the Xfinity Series in 2024. Our sources said that SS Greenlight was the rumored destination. Now, Daytona week has arrived, and Yeley still does not have any races announced for 2024.
He may race part-time with a team like SS Greenlight, but, it’s also possible that his potential talks have fizzled out. If the second scenario has happened, maybe he could team back up with NY Racing at Daytona. Yeley did take a Rick Ware Racing car to a top-10 at Atlanta last July.
Despite fans speculating Moffitt for multiple rides throughout the offseason, he is not on any entry list for this weekend. This comes after a full-time season with AM Racing in the 2023 Xfinity Series and a win in a one-off Truck Series start with Front Row Motorsports. For 2024, he has no announced plans.
This puts Moffitt firmly in the potentially desperate category. He has a Truck Series Championship and a superspeedway win in that series to boot. Maybe NY Racing could use him to sneak into the field at Daytona.
Derek Kraus is another driver who was left out of Silly Season in the 2023-24 off-season. He made some spot starts in 2023 with teams like Kaulig Racing and Spire Motorsports. However, both teams went in different directions with Xfinity and Truck Series programs.
Kraus does not have a ride for Daytona, and NY Racing just may give him one. Now, Kraus could slot into the Kaulig or Spire All-Star Car still, so, not all hope may be lost on him finding a seat. However, without a current ride, he has to find one where he can get it.
Gray Gaulding always seems to pop up somewhere. A journeyman driver with 158 starts across all three National Touring Series, he could be a good fit for NY Racing in that regard. Gaulding does not have any rides set for 2024.
However, is Gaulding really that desperate to find a ride at Daytona? He has been competing part-time throughout his career, so, he may not need to find a ride immediately. Still, NY Racing is an opportunity to look at.
This is set to be one of the most intriguing rides of Speedweeks. If they find a driver, it is an uphill battle to make the field.
