A NASCAR Cup team faces a tough exit after finishing 32nd at the Charlotte Roval—what’s really going on behind the scenes? MBM Motorsports, which now competes under the name Garage 66 in the NASCAR Cup Series, made its 15th entry and 14th start of the 2025 season last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. This marked the sixth time this year that Josh Bilicki took the wheel of the No. 66 Ford.
Bilicki ended the race in 32nd place, a finish that, while modest, was his best since July when he delivered the team’s strongest overall result this season—a 21st place finish at the Chicago Street Course. That race had given the team a glimmer of hope since their last similar achievement back in 2020.
At the Charlotte Roval event, the team owned by Carl Long was the only part-time entry on the roster. Interestingly, the next race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will feature two part-time teams, but Garage 66 won’t be one of them.
So what’s next for Garage 66 after their absence at the Charlotte Roval?
For the upcoming South Point 400 at Las Vegas—a 267-lap contest on the 1.5-mile, four-turn oval—NY Racing Team will field the No. 44 Chevrolet driven by J.J. Yeley, and Live Fast Motorsports will put Katherine Legge behind the wheel of the No. 78 Chevrolet. However, Garage 66’s No. 66 Ford is notably absent from the entry list.
This is believed to be the last time Garage 66 will skip a race during the 2025 season. The team has already confirmed their participation in the final three races of the year, with Casey Mears set to drive the No. 66 Ford at Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway.
Mears’ return to the Cup Series is a story itself—his first race back behind the wheel since 2019 was at Martinsville in March, followed by another start at Daytona International Speedway in August. His 29th place finish at Daytona remains Garage 66’s best showing on an oval track this year, highlighting some progress for the squad.
Looking ahead to the South Point 400, fans can catch the race live on USA Network at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, October 12. Notably, this will be USA Network’s final live broadcast of a NASCAR Cup race for the year, with the last three events scheduled to air on NBC. For those who don’t want to miss the excitement, a free trial of FuboTV is available to stream all the action live.
But here’s where it gets controversial: why has Garage 66’s season been so inconsistent in participation and results? Is their strategy of selective race entries and driver swaps a savvy approach to survive, or does it hint at deeper struggles within the team? What’s your take on their chances in the remaining races? Feel free to share your thoughts below—do you think Garage 66 can turn things around or is their fate sealed for 2025?
