BK Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that fielded entries in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018. It most recently fielded the No. 23 Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion for J. J. Yeley, Gray Gaulding, and other drivers. In 2018, the team was involved in a court case involving team owner Ron Devine and Union Bank & Trust Company over outstanding loans. In August of that year, after being turned over to a trustee who oversaw the team's operations, BK Racing was liquidated, with the assets going to Front Row Motorsports. However, BK Racing still fielded a car until the end of the 2018 season, with help from Front Row Motorsports and NY Racing Team.
History
BK Racing was owned by a couple of investors who were formerly involved in the ownership of TRG Motorsports Sprint Cup Series team, which closed after the 2011 season. Burger King franchise owner Ron Devine and tomato grower Wayne Press joined Thomas Uberall, former race director of the Red Bull Racing Team, to acquire the assets and race shop of the former Red Bull operation, which also closed after the 2011 season, for around $10 million.
Like Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins, principal owner Devine's many Burger King franchises allow him to advertise the brand on the cars when there is no outside sponsor. Prior to the 2012 Daytona 500, Burger King announced a "licensing agreement" with the team, authenticating the paint schemes of the 83 and 93 and the usage of the company's logos, though it is unclear whether or not the company and/or franchisee Devine funds the team. According to a 2013 Autoweek article, the partnership is limited to the licensing agreement, with Burger King not sponsoring the team. The Burger King partnership includes the branding of Dr Pepper, a soft drink served at Burger King restaurants. Dr Pepper has appeared as the primary sponsor of the team on various occasions (typically the 93 car), and expanded to a newly renumbered 23 car for 2014 (signifying the drink's 23 flavors).
In May 2014, the team expanded to three cars and added another owner and investor in Anthony Marlowe, who purchased a ten percent stake in the team. Formerly a partner in the recently exited Swan Racing, Marlowe founded outsourcing company TMone, and is currently the managing partner in Iowa City Capital Partners and its subsidiary Marlowe Companies Inc. After the 2015 season, Marlowe began the process of selling his stake in the team.
The team used engines from Triad Racing Technologies upon inception. In 2014, the team started an in-house engine program while using Triad engines on occasion. For 2016, the team purchased equipment from the recently closed Michael Waltrip Racing, and hired several former MWR employees, with increased manufacturer support from Toyota.
The team operated out of a facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, which housed former Cup Series team BAM Racing and was the base of GMS Racing until 2015.
In August 2018, BK Racing was liquidated, with most of its assets acquired by Front Row Motorsports (FRM). Other teams, including Obaika Racing and Rick Ware Racing, also received portions of the team's assets. FRM won the bankruptcy auction with a bid of 2.08 million, surpassing GMS Racing's offer of 1.8 million. Previously, FRM had purchased a charter from BK Racing after the 2016 season for US$2 million. This transaction is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Union Bank & Trust Company, which claims ownership of the charter due to a lien at the time of sale. On December 20, 2022, team owner Devine was ordered to pay 31 million to the trust managing BK Racing's bankruptcy. On October 18, 2023, Devine was indicted on four counts of failing to pay payroll taxes by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Investigations revealed that some of the misused funds were used to finance the team. On January 17, 2025, an appeals court upheld the 31 million judgment, finding that Devine used multiple corporations and family trusts as alter egos to divert approximately 6.4 million from the team. On April 29, 2025, another appeals court upheld a separate 2.5 million judgment. On June 11, 2025, Devine pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the 2023 payroll tax case.
Cars
Car No. 23 history
Alex Bowman (2014) For 2014, up-and-comer Ryan Truex tested the No. 93 at Daytona. Truex would wind up in the 83, and fellow up-and-comer Alex Bowman (who had tested the 83) would take over the renumbered No. 23 to run for Rookie of the Year. Dr Pepper stepped up as the full-time primary sponsor of the car, the No. 23 applying to the soft drink's original 23 flavors. When Truex's 83 missed the Daytona 500, his sponsor Borla Exhaust moved over to the 23, which Bowman drove to a solid 23rd-place finish in his Sprint Cup debut. Houston-based Dustless Blasting came on to sponsor Bowman at Watkins Glen and the second Talladega race. In October, DipYourCar.com, a retailer of Plasti Dip automotive finish products, signed to sponsor both the 23 and 83 cars at Martinsville and Homestead. Both cars would promote the film Dumb and Dumber To at Phoenix in November, with Bowman's 23 car featuring the face of Jim Carrey's character Lloyd Christmas. Bowman finished 2014 35th in the driver points, while the No. 23 slipped again to 36th in the owner points.
J. J. Yeley (2015)
On January 27, 2015, it was announced that J. J. Yeley, who had been the interim driver of the No. 83 following Ryan Truex's release in late 2014, would be joining the team full-time. It was subsequently revealed that Yeley would be driving the No. 23, with Bowman departing for Tommy Baldwin Racing. At Richmond in April, Yeley gave up his seat to teammate Jeb Burton after Burton failed to qualify his ESTES-sponsored 26 car. In August, prior to the fall race at Darlington, it was announced that Yeley and Burton would switch rides on a permanent basis. Also for Darlington, the team unveiled a retro scheme to honor Burton's father Ward, with the ESTES-sponsored Toyota replicating the Caterpillar Inc. cars Ward drove for Bill Davis Racing. After making his first seven attempts in the No. 23, Burton failed to qualify at Talladega; this is the first time the No. 23 has failed to qualify. Burton would qualify for the next three races before missing the race again in the season-finale at Homestead. Burton would finish the season 38th in the driver points and third in the Rookie of the Year standings, while the No. 23 slipped once again to 40th in the owner points.
David Ragan (2016) Yeley and Burton were both released from the team at the end of 2015. On January 25, 2016, the team announced that David Ragan would take over the No. 23 full-time in 2016. Ragan was sponsored by Dr Pepper outside of the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond, where he was sponsored by Sweet Frog, and the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono, where he was sponsored by USA Network to promote the network's upcoming NASCAR broadcasts while NBC is airing the Summer Olympics. Ragan's contract with BK was not renewed after the 2016 season.
Multiple drivers (2017-2018)
In 2017, Joey Gase joined the No. 23 team for three races starting at the Daytona 500. Gray Gaulding was later announced as the driver of the car for the other 33 races, running for Rookie of the Year. Gaulding will run some races in the 83. The only race he did not run was the Daytona 500, since NASCAR would not approve him due to the lack of superspeedway experience. Later in the season, Ryan Sieg joined the team at Michigan in June, and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver Alon Day joined the team to make his Cup Series debut at Sonoma. In June, Gaulding was released from the team because of financial issues, although he returned to BK for Darlington but in the No. 83 team. On September 22, Day returned to the No. 23 car at Richmond.
The No. 23 team ran the 2018 season with Gaulding, Yeley, Gase, Day, Blake Jones, and Spencer Gallagher. At the same time, the team filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and team owner Ron Devine was stripped of ownership in favor of a trustee. The #23 became a single-car team run by the trustee who formed a partnership with NY Racing Team to keep fielding the #23 as the 2018 season went on. Eventually, the #23 was sold in a bankruptcy auction to Front Row Motorsports and the primary driver for the rest of the season became JJ Yeley, the normal driver of NY Racing. At the Talladega, the team switched to the Ford Fusion for the race. The team reverted to Toyota at the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas. For their final race at the Homestead, the team once again reverted to the Fusion with Yeley behind the wheel.
The No. 23 did not return to Cup in 2019, being renumbered by Front Row Motorsports to the No. 36, with driver Matt Tifft. At the same time, Front Row ended their partnership with NY Racing Team and J. J. Yeley.
Car No. 23 results
Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts 2014 23 Toyota DAY23 PHO41 LVS37 BRI32 CAL22 MAR36 TEX32 DAR29 RCH28 TAL28 KAN35 CLT33 DOV40 POC31 MCH40 SON29 KEN36 DAY13 NHA31 IND40 POC31 GLN36 MCH26 BRI32 ATL35 RCH38 CHI35 NHA28 DOV34 KAN32 CLT30 TAL43 MAR29 TEX42 PHO32 HOM33 36th 412 2015 DAY40 ATL34 LVS36 PHO31 CAL37 MAR26 TEX43 BRI32 RCHQL TAL14 KAN37 CLT38 DOV29 POC36 MCH38 SON41 DAY33 KEN39 NHA43 IND39 POC30 GLN30 MCH38 BRI34 40th 302 RCH38 DAR31 RCH39 CHI38 NHA33 DOV43 CLT41 KAN37 TALDNQ MAR27 TEX32 PHO39 HOMDNQ 2016 DAY29 ATL32 LVS32 PHO24 CAL22 MAR21 TEX33 BRI39 RCH23 TAL34 KAN29 DOV17 CLT31 POC23 MCH22 SON32 DAY16 KEN22 NHA30 IND37 POC32 GLN33 BRI21 MCH29 DAR21 RCH34 CHI35 NHA32 DOV30 CLT23 KAN36 TAL24 MAR37 TEX33 PHO31 HOM29 34th 455 2017 DAY23 KEN36 BRI34 TAL32 35th 230 ATL37 LVS34 PHO36 CAL37 MAR29 TEX34 BRI29 RCH31 TAL20 KAN34 CLT27 DOV24 POC29 RCH35 MCH33 SON32 DAY11 NHA31 IND40 POC25 GLN33 MCH31 DAR28 CHI36 NHA27 DOV34 CLT28 KAN27 MAR33 TEX39 PHO31 HOM31 2018 DAY20 ATL36 LVS33 PHO34 CAL32 MAR36 TEX20 BRI31 RCH35 TAL24 DOV30 KAN29 CLT31 POC33 MCH31 SON30 CHI31 35th 229 NHA33 MCH30 BRI27 GLN35 DAR40 Alon DayRCH38 J. J. YeleyDAY18KEN39POC28IND29LVS17CLT28DOV32 KAN31 MAR31 TEX36 PHO38 Ford TAL36 HOM32‡ - Qualified but replaced by Jeb Burton
Car No. 26 history
Cole Whitt (2014)
On April 23, 2014, during a two-week hiatus between the spring Darlington and Richmond races, it was announced that Anthony Marlowe had acquired the No. 26 team from Swan Racing and merged his ownership with BK Racing. The 26 team's driver Cole Whitt was carried over in the transaction, with Marlowe being listed as the owner on the No. 26. The team inherited Swan Racing's Speed Stick GEAR sponsorship, and the company proceeded to extend their sponsorship for six additional races starting at the Coca-Cola 600. Additional sponsors (that were absent when Whitt and Marlowe were with Swan Racing), came on race by race, leaving only two races to be filled by Burger King logos. Scorpyd Crossbows joined the team for its first two races under the BK Banner. Iowa Chop House partnered with the team at Kansas. Rinnai Water Heaters came on to sponsor the team at Sonoma, then returned for Atlanta and Loudon. Scorpion Window Film sponsored the car at Daytona in July. Axxess Pharma and their TapouT Muscle Recovery brand signed on for multiple races in June, starting with the first New Hampshire race. Anthony Marlowe's Iowa City Capital Partners came on to back the car at Michigan and Chicagoland. At Watkins Glen, local New York winery Bully Hill Vineyards sponsored the 26. A strong road course racer, Whitt qualified a solid 18th and was running in 19th when his brakes failed entering turn 1, sending him into the distant tire barrier in an eerily similar fashion as Jimmie Johnson's notorious Busch Series crash in 2000.