Rick Ware Racing to switch to Chevrolet in 2026
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Rick Ware Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series operation will switch to Chevrolet in 2026, the team confirmed Monday.
RWR entered into a multiyear partnership with Chevrolet that includes a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing. They will use engines prepared by ECR Engines.
“Rick and his team have shown a real commitment to growing their program, and we’re proud to support that effort alongside our partners at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines,” said Pat Suhy, manager, NASCAR Competition for GM Motorsports. “Bringing RWR into the Chevrolet fold is a win for all of us. Their drive to keep improving aligns with our dedication to performance and innovation.”
Ware’s son, Cody, will pilot the No. 51 Chevrolet in the Cook Out Clash, Feb. 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium. He will also run the full, 36-race season in 2026, according to RWR.
“The NASCAR Cup Series is the toughest and most competitive series in motorsports, and this is an important move for the long-term growth of our company. We’ve won in NHRA, American Flat Track, World Supercross and the CARS Tour, and we want to elevate our NASCAR performance to the level of our other programs,” owner Rick Ware said.
This isn’t the first RWR has run with Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.
They ran with the Bowtie Brigade full-time in 2017 before switching to a mixture of Chevrolet of Ford in 2018 — until the switch to the NextGen car prompted them to go with Ford full-time in 2022.
RWR has seen incremental gains since then, scoring a top-five finish and eight top-10 finishes in the last four seasons — compared to two and three in the previous five.
Some of the most notable names of the NextGen era include Ryan Newman, Jenson Button, Justin Haley, J.J. Yeley and Corey LaJoie.
2023 saw Newman, Button and Yeley make their mark on the team.
Newman made eight starts in 2023 in what could be the final starts of his rocketing Cup Series career. Button also made three starts that season and qualified as well as eighth in the inaugural Chicago Street Race.
Meanwhile, Yeley ran up front late in the rain-shortened July race at Atlanta Motor Speedway before finishing seventh. Earlier that season, he also finished 16th — on the lead lap — in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The standout performances came from Haley and LaJoie the last two seasons. In 2024, Haley put together the best full-time effort for RWR — scoring two ninth-place finishes (Darlington – May, World Wide Technology Raceway Gateway – June) and amassing an average finish of 23.1.
Then, in this past year’s Daytona 500, LaJoie led late and nearly won the big race for RWR.
It’s unclear if LaJoie will reprise his role in the 2026 Daytona 500.
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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