A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | |
| Owner(s) | Rick Ware |
|---|---|
| Base | Concord, North Carolina[1] |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NTT IndyCar Series IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Global MX-5 Cup NHRA |
| Race drivers | Cup Series: 15. Riley Herbst, Kaz Grala (R), Cody Ware 51. Justin Haley IndyCar Series: 51. Colin Braun (R), Nolan Siegel (R), Luca Ghiotto (R), Katherine Legge, Tristan Vautier IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge: 51. Cody Ware MX-5 Cup: 51. Cody Ware, Preston Pardus 52. Preston Pardus NHRA: 51. Clay Millican |
| Sponsors | Cup Series: 15. Monster Energy, N29 Capital Partners, Jacob Companies, Re Mixers, Meat N' Bone 51. Fraternal Order of Eagles, Grady Memorial Hospital, Ohanafy, Walmart, Jacob Companies, Parts Plus, Children's Mercy Hospital, Fraternal Order of Police, Pinnacle Home Improvement, The Cleaning Authority, MotoRad IndyCar Series: 51. King Taco, Bimecc, e.l.f, Falcon Motorsports, GAV Air Technology IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge: 51. Jacob Companies MX-5 Cup: 51. Jacob Companies 52. Jacob Companies NHRA: 51. Parts Plus |
| Manufacturer | NASCAR: Ford IndyCar Series: Honda IMSA: Ligier MX-5 Cup: Mazda |
| Career | |
| Debut | 1998 |
| Latest race | Cup Series: 2024 Iowa Corn 350 (Iowa) Xfinity Series: 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race (Phoenix) Camping World Truck Series: 2017 Toyota Tundra 250 (Kansas) ARCA Menards Series: 2019 Kansas ARCA 150 (Kansas) Pinty's Series: 2021 Pinty's Fall Brawl (Delaware Speedway) IndyCar Series: 2024 XPEL Grand Prix (Road America) |
| Drivers' Championships | 1 |
| Race victories | 5 |
| Pole positions | 2 |
Rick Ware Racing (RWR) is an American motorsports team which currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Global MX-5 Cup, and NHRA and flat track
History
The organizational roots of RWR date back to Ware & Sons Racing with Rick and his father John Ware competing in the SCCA Series. They raced under the banner "Ware & Sons" as early as the 1960s when Rick went go-kart racing. Once of legal driving age, Rick joined his father John Ware in the SCCA and IMSA Series.
In 1983, Ware & Sons won Rookie of the Year in the California Sports Car Club with Rick behind the wheel. Ware & Sons with Rick as the driver went on to win several titles in that series, as well as the SCCA and IMSA Championship.
After a stint as a driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ware renamed the organization Ware Racing Enterprises in the 1990s and eventually Rick Ware Racing in 2004.
The team's shop was previously located in Thomasville, North Carolina. In 2020, they moved to Mooresville, North Carolina during the two months (March to May) that the series could not race due to the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The move coincided with RWR buying Premium Motorsports, which added their No. 15 car as a fourth full-time car in their stable, causing the team to need more space.[2] Before the 2023 season, RWR moved from Mooresville to a shop in Concord, North Carolina on the campus of RFK Racing, which the team began an alliance with in 2023.[1] On April 9, RWR appointed Tommy Baldwin Jr. as competition director.[3]
NASCAR
NASCAR Cup Series
Early years (1998–2012)
In 1998, Rick Ware attempted to qualify a Ware Racing Enterprises Ford in the Winston Cup event at Sonoma Raceway but failed to make the race.
Rick Ware Racing (RWR) had made a handful of attempts in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2004 with Stanton Barrett in the No. 52. In 2005, the organization made attempts with Larry Gunselman, José Luis Ramírez and Derrike Cope. In 2006, Larry Gunselman, Steve Portenga, and Stanton Barrett in the No. 52 and No. 30 respectively.
In 2007, Barrett attempted to make the Daytona 500 only to miss the race by a single position.
In 2011, Rick Ware Racing allied with the No. 37 Front Row Motorsports/Max Q Motorsports Team. American Le Mans Series driver Tomy Drissi qualified for the Sonoma Cup Race race, but NASCAR would not approve him for competition; Chris Cook drove the 37 to a 27th-place finish.
For 2012, Rick Ware Racing again allied with Max Q Motorsports to run Timmy Hill for the majority of the season in the No. 37 to vie for Rookie of the Year honors. After Mike Wallace failed to make Daytona, Hill DNQ'd the next race, but qualified in Vegas; he finished 42nd after a crash. When the team missed five races in six attempts, they were outside the top 35 and Ware moved Hill back to Nationwide, ending the partnership.
Full-time (2017–present)
In 2017, Rick Ware Racing came back to the Cup Series with the No. 51 Chevrolet for most of the schedule.
In 2018, Rick Ware Racing ran with all three manufacturers and the team also secured a charter for the No. 51 car. Later in the season, the team fielded a part-time No. 52 car.[4]
For the 2019 season, Rick Ware Racing dropped Toyota to focus on running Chevrolets and Fords. The No. 51 team was registered as Petty Ware Racing after RWR leased the charter from Richard Petty Motorsports. In addition, RWR secured a full-time schedule for the No. 52 team after purchasing a charter from Front Row Motorsports, who had leased it to the now-defunct TriStar Motorsports.[5] Starting with the 2019 Coca-Cola 600, RWR fielded a third team, the No. 53, on a part-time basis.[6] Starting with the 2019 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, RWR fielded a fourth team, the No. 54, on a part-time basis.[7] On November 27, 2019, NASCAR imposed penalties to Rick Ware Racing, Premium Motorsports, and Spire Motorsports for manipulating their finishing order at Homestead. Each team was docked 50 owners' points and fined US$50,000. In addition, competition directors Kenneth Evans of Rick Ware Racing and Scott Eggleston of Premium Motorsports were suspended indefinitely and fined US$25,000 each.[8]
For the 2020 season, RWR took a lease of the former charter of Front Row Motorsports' No. 36 team, allowing the No. 53 to run a full-time schedule.[5] On May 13, 2020, Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass confirmed that Rick Ware Racing had purchased Premium Motorsports and their charter for the No. 15 car from former owner Jay Robinson. Rick Ware Racing continued to run the No. 15 full-time for Brennan Poole under the Premium Motorsports name in 2020.
On October 10, 2021, it was reported that RWR was going into an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Yates Engines beginning in 2022 as they would run Fords.[9]
Car No. 15 history
On May 13, 2020, Premium Motorsports was acquired by the organization and along with it, the team's charter for the No. 15, which was piloted by Brennan Poole. However, the 15 still ran under the Premium Motorsports banner. Poole ran all but one race (the Bristol Night Race, where he was replaced by J. J. Yeley) for the rest of the season. Following 2020, Poole left the team.
In 2021, the team would officially be run under the RWR banner. The team announced that 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope would make his final career start in the Daytona 500 in the car. The car was also fielded in a collaboration with Cope's team, StarCom Racing. However, after qualifying, Cope was penalized for electrical issues and failing numerous inspections and his qualifying time was disallowed. Also during the duels, Cope had issues with the car, placing 17th in his duel race, only completing 59 laps out the 63. Cope started 32nd in the race and only ran three laps before crashing on lap four, ending his day. After the 500, the team used multiple drivers for the 15 team through the rest of the season. James Davison made the most starts for the team with 17 starts, and gave the team's best finish with a 22nd-place finish in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville. Dirt racer Chris Windom made his NASCAR Cup Series debut with the team at Bristol Dirt Race, driving the car. However, an engine failure caused Windom to drop out of the race and place the car 33rd. Later in April, Jennifer Jo Cobb was set to make her NASCAR Cup debut at the GEICO 500 at Talladega; however, NASCAR announced on April 19 that she would not be approved to run the race. This was likely due to how the race itself would have been her first time in a Cup car because of the lack of practice and qualifying. Joey Gase would drive the car at Las Vegas, Kansas, Nashville, and Daytona. At the fall Las Vegas race, Gase was involved in a scary crash when the car lost a tire and slammed the wall, sending the car airborne. Gase was transported to the hospital and released a few hours later.[10] At the Go Bowling at The Glen, R. C. Enerson would make his NASCAR Cup debut for the team at the race. Enerson would drive the 15 to a 34th-place finish. Bayley Currey drove at Atlanta in July. Ryan Ellis drove at Kansas in October. He received the ride to make amends with the Ware family following a late wreck with Cody Ware during the Xfinity Race at Mid-Ohio. Josh Bilicki would drive the 15 at the Roval event while Joey Hand drove Bilicki’s usual No. 52. Garrett Smithley would then finish out the year in the car. The team placed 35th in the owners points.
The No. 15 started the 2022 season with David Ragan, scoring an eighth-place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500, the team's highest finish since its acquisition from Premium Motorsports. The car was shared with Smithley, Hand, Yeley, Ryan Preece, and Parker Kligerman. At Michigan, Yeley triggered a massive pileup on lap 25 that took Austin Cindric and Kyle Busch out of contention.[11]
The No. 15 started the 2023 season with Riley Herbst finishing 10th in the Daytona 500. The car was shared with J.J. Yeley, Todd Gilliland, Jenson Button, Brennan Poole, Gray Gaulding, Andy Lally, and Ryan Newman. At COTA, Button finished 18th in his NASCAR debut.[12]
In 2024, Kaz Grala will drive in 25 races starting at Atlanta.[13] Cody Ware will drive the No. 15 in 9 races.[14] Riley Herbst will drive in the 2024 Daytona 500 as well as several other races.