Rick Ware Racing is making some big strides for its future, from an alliance with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing to signing a major deal with an up-and-coming driver in Justin Haley. RWR is here to stay, and it has tapped 24-year-old from Indiana to be its full-time driver in 2024.
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Currently driver of the No. 31 for Kaulig Racing, Haley is in his second full-time season in the Cup Series. He will not only be changing teams, but will leave Chevrolet for the first time in his NASCAR career in order to make the move to Ford.
A New Move For Justin Haley
Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
During an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, team owner Rick Ware had plenty to say about the team's future and what it hopes Haley will do for the team.
✍️ What made @Justin_Haley_ so attractive to team owner Rick Ware?
🗣️ “You look at the guys who have a low percentage rate of wrecking [...], Justin is one of those kind of guys.”
More from the @RickWareRacing owner⬇️https://t.co/qesEcbHBRS pic.twitter.com/TLF61GoTx8
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) July 20, 2023
"There's a lot of factors that went into this, and I had started talking to Justin some, I guess maybe at the beginning, early summer, and we were just trying to decide what are we going to do with one of the seats in 2024," Ware said. "If you are an owner and you look at the guys that have a low percentage rate of wrecking or causing yellows, and who flies under the radar .... Justin is one of those kind of guys that there's not a whole lot of fanfare. You look at the results and it's like, I didn't even hear his name and he's like 10th or he's 15th or he's fifth. He's just one of those guys. And at 24, he has a lot of experience ... . He just has a very diverse background."
Haley has proved he can compete at all of the different forms or tracks in NASCAR. And he has helped smaller or new teams make an impact, including winning the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona while driving part time for Spire Motorsports.
Haley also appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to discuss his decision to make the move to RWR, and how important having resources from RFK will be for the team to succeed.
💪"To kind of have the resources that @RFKracing brings with @RickWareRacing and having that great partnership was huge for me."
🗣️ @Justin_Haley_ new driver for Rick Ware Racing discussed what helped him make the decision to move teams.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/k0PN9Ta8s1
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) July 20, 2023
"It's definitely tough. I think Rick, like I said, he's put a lot into motorsports in general," Haley said. "But obviously for me as a driver, right here on RFK's campus ... they have a great alliance ... . And for me to kind of have the resources that RFK brings with Rick Ware Racing and having that great partnership was huge for me."
This could be the opportunity Haley has been looking for, and Rick Ware Racing has certainly performed much better than in years past since making an alliance with RFK.
It has worked for other smaller teams in recent memory, such as JTG Daugherty Racing working with Hendrick Motorsports, which resulted in a win in this season's Daytona 500 for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
During the official announcement, Ware commented about how their alliance with RFK will be pivotal for the team's on-track success.
Hopefully, all of this works out for Haley and Rick Ware Racing.
