Rick Ware Racing Overview
Rick Ware Racing (RWR) is an American motorsports team founded in 1995 and based in Concord, North Carolina. Owned by Rick Ware, the organization competes across a wide range of racing disciplines, including the NASCAR Cup Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, American Flat Track, and the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The team has previously competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the NTT IndyCar Series, and the Asian Le Mans Series. A long-standing alliance with Chevrolet supports the team’s manufacturer operations.
Over three decades, RWR has built a reputation as a multi-series operation willing to enter cars across stock car, open-wheel, sports car, and motorcycle racing disciplines. The team earned one championship in the Asian Le Mans Series and continues to field entries in NASCAR’s national and regional touring series, as well as in drag racing and flat track competition.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The roots of Rick Ware Racing stretch back to the 1960s, when Rick Ware began racing go-karts under the banner Ware & Sons alongside his father, John Ware. Once he reached legal driving age, Rick joined his father in the SCCA and IMSA Series, and the family team steadily built a presence in American sports car and club racing.
In 1983, Rick Ware, driving for Ware & Sons, won Rookie of the Year in the California Sports Car Club. The team went on to capture several SCCA and IMSA titles. After a brief stint as a driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, Rick Ware renamed the family organization Ware Racing Enterprises in the 1990s, before formally rebranding it as Rick Ware Racing in 2004. The team initially operated from Thomasville, North Carolina, where it built a small but versatile shop capable of preparing cars for several different racing series.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
Rick Ware Racing’s earliest NASCAR activity came in 1998, when Rick Ware attempted to qualify a Ware Racing Enterprises Ford for the Winston Cup event at Sonoma Raceway but failed to make the race. The team made additional Cup attempts in the mid-2000s, running the No. 52 with drivers such as Stanton Barrett, Larry Gunselman, José Luis Ramírez, and Derrike Cope. Over the same period, RWR expanded into the Xfinity Series, fielding the No. 31 Chevrolet from 2009 onward and signing developmental drivers such as Jeffrey Earnhardt, the grandson of Dale Earnhardt.
The team steadily broadened its footprint through technical alliances and partner programs. In 2017, RWR returned to the Cup Series with the No. 51 Chevrolet, and in 2018 the team secured its first charter. By 2019, RWR was running multiple chartered entries, leasing a charter from Richard Petty Motorsports to register the No. 51 as Petty Ware Racing, while purchasing a second charter from Front Row Motorsports for a full-time No. 52 program. In 2020, the organization bought Premium Motorsports, gaining the No. 15 charter and expanding to a four-car full-time Cup operation. The purchase prompted a relocation from Thomasville to Mooresville, North Carolina, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rick Ware Racing Competitive Journey
From a small family operation in regional sports car racing, Rick Ware Racing has grown into a multi-series team competing at the national level in stock car, sports car, open-wheel, motorcycle, and drag racing. The team’s competitive journey has been defined by steady expansion, manufacturer partnerships, and the willingness to enter cars across a wide variety of series.
Early Seasons and Development (1995–2015)
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, RWR focused on the Xfinity and Truck Series, building a foundation with limited-budget programs. The 2009 season marked an important step forward, with Stanton Barrett qualifying the No. 31 in the 11th position at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Kerry Earnhardt posting a 12th-place finish at Talladega. That same year, Tim Andrews and his father, crew chief Paul Andrews, became the first father-son driver and crew chief pairing in NASCAR Nationwide Series history.
By the early 2010s, RWR was running No. 15 and No. 41 programs in the Xfinity Series with drivers such as Timmy Hill, Blake Koch, and Jennifer Jo Cobb. In 2011, Chrissy Wallace became the first female driver to make her series debut at Daytona in the No. 41 Chevrolet. The team also entered the Summer X Games beginning in 2009, and in 2011 rider Vicki Golden delivered the organization’s first X Games gold medal in Women’s Moto X.
Breakthrough in NASCAR (2017–2020)
The 2017 season marked RWR’s return to the Cup Series with the No. 51 Chevrolet, anchored by Cody Ware and Timmy Hill. In 2018, the team ran all three major manufacturers, secured its first charter, and added a part-time No. 52 entry. The 2019 season represented a major breakthrough, with chartered entries in the No. 51 (registered as Petty Ware Racing) and the No. 52, followed by a third part-time No. 53 team and a fourth part-time No. 54 entry later in the year.
In 2020, RWR completed the purchase of Premium Motorsports, adding the No. 15 charter and operating four full-time Cup cars. The acquisition coincided with the team’s move from Thomasville to Mooresville, North Carolina. Over the same period, the team expanded its footprint into new series, including the Pinty’s Series in Canada and the Asian Le Mans Series, where RWR scored its first major international victories.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2021–Present)
In 2022, RWR aligned with Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Yates Engines to focus on Fords, before switching its alliance to RFK Racing beginning in 2023. Before the 2023 season, the team moved from Mooresville to a shop in Concord, North Carolina, on the RFK Racing campus. In April 2023, Tommy Baldwin Jr. was appointed competition director. The No. 15’s charter was leased to RFK Racing for the No. 60 in 2025, while Cody Ware returned to the No. 51 full-time alongside a part-time No. 01 entry for Corey LaJoie.
Beyond NASCAR, RWR has continued to broaden its NHRA program with drivers Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican, and supports ARCA efforts through Cody Ware’s son, Carson Ware. In 2025, the team was involved in a charter dispute with Legacy Motor Club, which was settled in September 2025 when RWR agreed to sell the charter to Legacy Motor Club. The team also fields a Chevrolet alliance that continues to anchor its multi-series operations.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Rick Ware Racing’s identity is built on versatility, with a willingness to enter cars in stock car, open-wheel, sports car, motorcycle, and drag racing disciplines. The team focuses on Chevrolet partnerships, robust driver development, and flexible operations that allow the organization to scale quickly when charters or partnerships change. Its structure supports both full-time chartered Cup efforts and part-time entries across multiple series.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Among the team’s most notable moments, Vicki Golden’s 2011 X Games gold medal in Women’s Moto X marked the organization’s first major action sports victory. In 2019, RWR earned LMP2 Am class wins in the Asian Le Mans Series, where 16-year-old Gustas Grinbergas became the youngest driver to win an ACO-sanctioned race. In 2021, the team captured its first NASCAR-sanctioned victory in the Pinty’s Series with Andrew Ranger at Flamboro Speedway, and later that year won the Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 Am championship.
Rick Ware Racing Achievements and Results
Rick Ware Racing’s verified accomplishments include one championship in the Asian Le Mans Series, two Pinty’s Series victories, three Asian Le Mans race wins, an X Games gold medal, and multi-car chartered operations in the NASCAR Cup Series. Across its various series, the team has recorded a total of five race victories and three pole positions.
Cup Series Achievements
Rick Ware Racing has fielded multiple full-time and part-time Cup Series entries since 2004, with the No. 51 and No. 15 becoming its flagship programs. The team secured its first charter in 2018 and expanded to four chartered entries by 2020. While the team has yet to record a Cup Series victory, its highest finishes include eighth place with David Ragan in the 2022 Daytona 500.
Other Series Achievements
Beyond the Cup Series, RWR has earned three Asian Le Mans race wins and one Asian Le Mans LMP2 Am drivers’ championship, as well as two Pinty’s Series victories in 2021 with Andrew Ranger. The team has also celebrated a Summer X Games gold medal in Women’s Moto X with Vicki Golden in 2011, and operates active programs in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, American Flat Track, and the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.