After a surprise announcement that Justin Haley would be joining the team for 2024, things were looking up for Rick Ware Racing in 2024. Haley, one of NASCAR’s most promising young talents, choosing to join Rick Ware indicated a positive future. Along with the alliance with RFK Racing, 2024 looked to be RWR’s best season yet. Joining Haley would be Kaz Grala serving as the anchor driver for the 15 car. Sprinkle in some starts from Riley Herbst and Cody Ware and Rick Ware Racing had a solid foundation of drivers. This 2024 Season in Review will determine whether Rick Ware Racing had its best season in the Cup Series.
#15 – Multiple Drivers
Drivers: Kaz Grala (anchor driver), Cody Ware, & Riley Herbst
2024 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 1 Top-5, 1 Top-10, 6 Top-20s, Avg Fin: 26.81
Crew Chief: Billy Plourde
Owner Points Ranking: 36
For 2024, the driver lineup for the 15 car featured two young drivers along with Cody Ware. Kaz Grala would serve as the anchor driver, making a total of 23 starts for the team. Meanwhile, Riley Herbst would spot start in 4 races while Ware took the remaining 9. Early in the season, Grala predominately drove the 15, as he made 16 of the first 20 starts. During that stretch, Grala put together a few noteworthy performances. At spring Bristol, Grala managed to demonstrate great tire management. His 41.77% Top-15 laps were the best for the 15 team on the season.
Grala’s average finish of 25th during his early stretch brought legitimacy to Rick Ware Racing’s improvement. However, the second half of the season saw a dip by Grala when his seat time was more sporadic. Meanwhile, Cody Ware put together solid superspeedway races, including a Top-5 at Daytona in the summer. Overall, Ware would hold the best average finish among the three drivers.
As for Riley Herbst, the less said about his time in the 15, the better. His best finish for the team was 24th in the Daytona 500. His other 3 starts ended with results in the 30s.
2024 Grade: C-
When expectations are low, it is easy to get a passing grade. The collective efforts of Grala, Herbst, and Ware net the 15 team a low C grade. Unfortunately, this team still ranked last in owners points. However, there were enough bright spots to warrant a better than expected grade. Especially early in the season with Kaz Grala, the 15 car performed better than expected. That success would die off as the season waned, but it was still great to see the 15 car feature occasionally in the Top-20 outside of the superspeedways.
2025 Outlook
For 2025, one of Rick Ware Racing’s charters will be on loan to RFK Racing. Based on precedent, it feels that the 51 car will be the chartered entry for 2025. However, Rick Ware announced that the 15 car will be entered into The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. So who knows which number will be running fulltime.
With that said, the non-chartered entry for Rick Ware Racing will likely make spot starts throughout the year. Depending on the Corey LaJoie situation, Cody Ware would likely be the favorite to make the majority of the starts for the non-chartered team.
#51 – Justin Haley/Corey LaJoie
Justin Haley 2024 Stat Line:Â 29 Starts – 2 Top-10s, 11 Top-20s, Avg Fin: 23.07
Corey LaJoie 2024 Stat Line:Â 7 Starts – 2 Top-15s, 3 Top-20s, Avg Fin: 26.57
Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
Owner Points Ranking: 34
Notable Results: First ever non-superspeedway Top-10 at throwback Darlington
With the addition of Justin Haley for the 51 team, expectations were slightly raised for the 2024 season. Yes, the 51 car was still a Rick Ware Racing entry. However, Haley is the type of talent who can maximize his equipment. Early in the season, the results were promising. Haley ran upfront during portions of the Daytona 500. Even on non-superspeedways, the 51 car was battling for Top-20 finishes. Similar to Kaz Grala, the first notable result was a Top-20 at spring Bristol. During a significant stretch of that race, Haley was running inside the Top-10.
Then, Haley made history during throwback weekend at Darlington. For the first time in the organization’s history, a Rick Ware Racing entry finished inside the Top-10 at a non-superspeedway. This was no fluke or stroke of luck. Haley ran inside the Top-20 for the majority of the race, coming alive during the final stage. Haley backed up that performance with another Top-10 at Gateway and 3 Top-16 finishes in 4 weeks from Iowa to Chicago. From Dover through Michigan, Haley only finished in the 30s once with an average finish inside the Top-20.
Justin Haley for Corey LaJoie Swap
Throughout silly season, Justin Haley’s name became frequently attached to numerous open rides. Wood Brothers and Front Row were the loudest rumors. However, Haley reiterated his commitment to Rick Ware Racing. As more rides were starting to fill, it seemed likely that Haley would indeed return to the 51 car in 2025. Then Corey LaJoie announced he would not be returning to Spire Motorsports next season. With Rodney Childers already announced for the 7 car, that opening was a must-have.
While Haley did state his intent to remain with Rick Ware earlier in the season, the sentimental tie to Spire (along with the golden opportunity) proved too great to keep him. During the Bristol Night Race weekend, Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing announced essentially a mid-season trade. Starting at Kansas, Haley would go to Spire while LaJoie would join RWR.
After taking over the 51 from Haley, Corey LaJoie started out well with his new team. In 3 of the first 4 races, LaJoie would finish inside the Top-20. However, the season ended on a sour note, with the final 3 races each resulting in a 32nd or worse finish.
2024 Grade: C+
Overall, the 51 car had the best season for a Rick Ware Racing team in its history. While that is a moderately low bar to clear, it is progress that could have been sustained. Justin Haley demonstrated that this team had potential, especially on tracks where equipment can be leveled out with driver talent. It was not uncommon to see the 51 competing inside the Top-20.
However, the departure of Justin Haley spoils the fondness of the overall season. Yes, Haley demonstrated the potential. Yet, he is truly the first driver in RWR’s history to do so. With Haley stepping away for a better opportunity, the future for the 51 (or whichever number is the chartered entry) is a bit influx. Corey LaJoie did carry some of the success into his tenure. Could that spell promise for the future still?
2025 Outlook
Who will be driving the chartered entry for Rick Ware Racing in 2025? While it would be easy to assume Corey LaJoie will transition into the ride next year, nothing has been made official as of this writing. If it is not LaJoie, then who would be the fulltime driver? The options are likely limited to the remaining 15-car drivers (Grala and Ware) and lower series names who are not connected to big teams.
Whoever does pilot the chartered entry will have the opportunity to build on a promising 2024. The RFK Racing alliance should continue to help blossom this program. However, RFK taking on a third fulltime team as well as Haas Factory Team being considered essentially a fourth RFK ride is concerning. Will Rick Ware Racing still receive the same level of help as this past season? It could go either way. On one hand, it would be beneficial for RFK to help bring Rick Ware Racing along. Meanwhile, without a promising driver talent in their organization, maybe the better idea is to focus more on RFK Racing itself.
Rick Ware Racing 2024 Grade: D-
While each individual team received a letter grade in the Cs, the overall team of Rick Ware Racing receives a D-. Ultimately, the season was not successful based on the results. Both cars finished in the last 3 spots in owners points. Although there were more highlights this season, the driver mostly responsible for them departed for Spire Motorsports. What could be seen as a building block year now feels like it will turn into a blip on the radar.
Maybe that is too harsh for Rick Ware Racing. Despite loaning out a charter for next season, there is chance that the team could thrive focusing mostly on one car the entire year. The 51 team definitely showed signs of life at tracks like Bristol, Darlington, and Gateway. However, it is extremely difficult to get excited for a potential fulltime season out of Cody Ware. While Corey LaJoie does not bring too much excitement, 2025’s potential would be better suited with him. If not LaJoie, maybe Rick Ware should look to giving Kaz Grala a fulltime chance. Either way, it is tough to imagine liking RWR better heading into 2025 than 2024.
For other 2024 Season in Review articles, click the link(s) below:
Robert Cwick: Team Penske, JTG-Daugherty, Front Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Trackhouse Racing
Griffin Fuller: 23XI Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Legacy Motor Club
Daniel Smith (statistical reviews): Team Penske/Wood Brothers, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Trackhouse Racing/Richard Childress Racing, RFK Racing/Front Row Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing, Spire Motorsports/JTG-Daughtery, Kaulig Racing/Rick Ware Racing, Cup Series Final Ranking
