NASCAR Cup Series team still without a driver less than a week before the Daytona 500

Only last month, NASCAR Cup Series team NY Racing announced their intentions to run the entire 2021 season.

However, less than a week before the season-opening Daytona 500, the team with plans to run the No. 44 this season has yet to confirm a driver.

Rick Ware Racing (RWR) was another team that belonged to the same category of unconfirmed drivers, but multiple recent driver announcements have left the NY Racing Team as the only NASCAR team with unconfirmed plans to run in the 2021 season.

#Daytona500 Ready. @RickWareRacing @Jacob_Companies pic.twitter.com/FCKbNoytnV

— Derrike Cope (@DCopeRacing) February 8, 2021

The NY Racing Team is a non-chartered entry and hence will need to go the qualification route to book a spot in NASCAR's biggest race, the Daytona 500, and beyond.

Not very far away is Wednesday when the single-car qualifying session will take place, followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday, Feb. 11 to finalize the 40-car starting lineup.

Bear in mind that the team has run just 17 NASCAR Cup Series races so far and is looking to come back from a hiatus that began back in May of 2018, when they last ran, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Furthermore, they haven't featured in the Daytona 500 since 2015 either.

There are a total of 44 cars currently on the entry list for the Daytona 500. With 36 chartered entries, eight cars are vying for the remaining four spots, and should NY confirm their driver, it will take the tally to nine.

NASCAR: Is Johnny Sauter taking up driving duties for NY Racing?

Johnny Sauter is one of the drivers speculated to drive the No. 44 entry. Image courtesy: Getty Images

While time may be running out for NY Racing, rumors from early January suggested that 2016 Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter would be announced as the driver for the team.

The leaked image was posted on social media listing Sauter as the driver of the No. 44 for NY Racing Team for the 2021 Daytona 500.

However, the image could not be validated, and the NY Racing Team management did not come up with anything concrete in that regard either.

Concerning the leaked image, Catchfence's Chris Knight took to Twitter to tweet about the team not being ready to announce anything on the driver front.

.@Nyracingteam team owner John Cohen confirms team plans to attempt Feb.'s #DAYTONA500 @DAYTONA, however is not ready to announce details of driver | and or sponsor but says both will be announced soon. Cohen says team plans to run full Cup schedule as open team#NASCAR

— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) January 5, 2021

Sauter is currently part of the ThorSport Racing setup and will pilot the No. 13 Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2021 season.

Who has driven the No. 44 for NY Racing Team in the past?

John Cohen, an African-American entrepreneur, founded his race team Xxxtreme Motorsport in the spring of 2009, which later became the NY Racing Team.

The NY Racing Team had several cars run by several drivers before starting to run in the NASCAR Cup Series in Nov. 2012.

The No. 44 was first run by David Reutimann in the 2012 AdvoCare 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway with No Label Watches serving as the sponsor. Reutimann pulled out early due to a vibration and finished 40th.

In 2013, Scott Riggs was contracted as the team's full-time driver to steer the No. 44. That year also marked the end of their partnership with Chevrolet as the team moved to Ford.

However, following a string of poor performances and a dearth of sponsorship, the team shut shop for the year mid-season.

J.J. Yeley, who had just departed Tommy Baldwin Racing, was then given driving duties in 2014. However, engine woes throughout the season kept them from notching up anything substantial.

Reed Sorenson took charge of the No. 44 in 2015 for the season's Daytona 500, with Golden Corral sponsorship. He finished in 32nd place after being involved in a crash on the final lap.

Travis Kvapil was then scheduled to drive the No. 44 car in Atlanta but that could not happen since the car was stolen from the parking lot and following its recovery, it was used by Richard Petty Motorsports for driver Brian Scott.

Who can NY Racing name as the driver the No. 44 in the NASCAR 2021 season?

David Reutimann has turned crew chief and Scott Riggs has been hailed as Stewart-Haas Racing's forgotten driver.

J.J Yeley has been roped in by Rick Ware Racing (RWR) and Reed Sorenson will be offering his services as a spotter in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Travis Kvapil could be a possible option for the season if they were to return to a driver from the past. It would also be no surprise if Sauter made the cut. However, all that remains unknown as of now.

It's worth noting that the NY Racing Team's website has a ticker counting down to the 2021 Daytona 500. The website also has a dropdown stating the vision for the No. 44 car in the 2021 NASCAR season.

"The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series regular season marks the start of a brand new era for NY Racing Team. Starting on February 14th, the new season with our No. 44 entry kicks off at the infamous Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida in the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500, the Great American Race. At a place where the timeline unfolds like the pages of history, a proud new chapter is set to be written at the "World Center of Racing" this year."