Justin Haley signs with Rick Ware Racing for 2024
Rick Ware Racing said Thursday morning Justin Haley signed a multi-year driver agreement, starting with the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Haley will depart Kaulig Racing, leaving the No. 31 Chevrolet open for 2024. He will compete full-time in one of RWR’s Ford Mustangs.
RWR had no full-time drivers signed after NASCAR suspended Cody Ware earlier this year.
Ware’s former team, the No. 51, is at risk of NASCAR invoking rules pertaining to the bottom three charters in owner points.
The rule states NASCAR reserves the right to repossess any charter that finishes as one of the bottom three chartered teams in owner points three years in a row.
In the off-season, RWR swapped the No. 15 and No. 51 charters around. This year, the No. 51 has the No. 15’s charter, while the No. 15 has the No. 51’s charter.
The No. 15 finished in the bottom three the last two years. With that charter, the No. 51 team is in position to finish bottom three again.
Meanwhile, the No. 15 team is in position to finish above the bottom three. That will avert NASCAR possibly revoking that charter.
Bottom Three charters since 2016:
| Year | 34th | 35th | 36th |
| 2023 (currently) | Rick Ware #51 (3; was Rick Ware #15 in 2022) | Spire #77 | LiveFast #78 (2) |
| 2022 | Rick Ware #15 (2) | Rick Ware #51 | LiveFast #78 |
| 2021 | Rick Ware #15 | Rick Ware #53 (2) | StarCom #00 (2) |
| 2020 | StarCom #00 | Rick Ware #53 | Petty-Ware #51 (2) |
| 2019 | Petty-Ware #51 | Spire #77 | Rick Ware #52 |
| 2018 | Starcom #00 | BK Racing #23 (2) | Rick Ware #51 (became Petty 43 after 2018) |
| 2017 | Premium #15 | BK Racing #23 | Circle Sport/TMG #33 |
| 2016 | HScott #46 | GoFas #32 | Baldwin #7 |
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com