LONG POND, Pa.: The first major driver domino in silly season 2023 fell this week leading into the NASCAR Cup Series arriving at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.
Justin Hayley’s decision to depart Kaulig Racing for Rick Ware Racing next season was a move many did not expect and left some nearly speechless.
Hayley addressed questions Saturday from the 2.5-mile triangle and detailed the decision to move to the Concord, N.C-based team for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series.
“I think there’s a lot of uncertainty in the sport right now, in the world really,” Hayley first said. “There’s a charter agreement not finalized, there’s a TV (deal) that’s not finalized and the election is next year, I think for Matt and Kaulig Racing and where they are obviously, he’s a business man, he’s making business decisions. I think we were close to doing a deal, I feel like I had a deals and Rick (Ware) just kept coming and calling and just gave me a really good deal.”
Rick Ware Racing for the past several years has often been trade marked as a back-marker organization, but in the last two seasons, the Rick Ware-owned team has invested a substantial amount of money to improve his two-car team’s on-track performance, which included a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2022, before transitioning to an alliance to this season with RFK Racing.
The pairing has worked in 2023 with an uptick in speed and overall performance on Sundays has attracted the attention of many, including Hayley.
“I believe in what they have been able to do, especially with the RFK alliance,” explained Haley. “Brad Keselowski and Steve (Newmark) over at RFK were very helpful in my decision process and they were convincing as well. I think with our alliance with RFK, Rick Ware – maybe on the surface, it might look like an odd move but there’s a lot more depth to it than you might think.”
Haley admitted that his new opportunity has been done since the end of June leading into the first-ever Cup Street Course race on the streets of downtown Chicago, but collectively Haley and RWR elected to announce their partnership this week in an effort to help strengthen their program from the business side in 2024.
“Unfortunately, an obviously and awkward time to sign and release,” Haley admitted. “This deal with Rick was done pretty much the week of Chicago, so probably a month ago. It’s been done for a while.
“To get sponsors and to sell a certain car, you have to release that. You have to put it out there that I was making a transition to RWR and we could start to sell that sponsorship. If you are trying to look for sponsors and Rick is trying to look for sponsors to make the business side of the sport go around, but you can’t sell anything because you don’t have anything signed, it’s impossible.
“Obviously it was important for us to release that to get all of our sponsors signed and ready for next year. I want to do the best for Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice (of Kaulig Racing), they have been really good to me for a long time, but for me personally and selfishly we had to release it.”
While several options appeared on the table for Haley to consider next season, Ware and officials at RFK won him over with persistency, a tactic that Haley embraced.
“RFK and RWR wanted me,” he said. “They were very persistent and I like that. Rick gave me a really good opportunity and a really good deal that I had kept laying in bed thinking about and wanting to take.
“I think back to where Spire (Motorsports) was a few years ago. A lot of people were wondering why Spire was in the sport, especially after our win together. They thought it was a money grab and whatnot.
“I think Rick really wants to show people that he’s here to win races. They just won a NHRA race last week. I mean Rick Ware in all forms of Motorsports is a race-winning championship caliber team. He wants to drive his NASCAR program to that and signing me to a full-time driver was I think one of his first steps after the RFK alliance and we want to change the narrative.
“I believe in Rick and what he has been able to do.”
The beauty of the Haley and Ware’s new venture is believing in each other and recognizing that winning races isn’t going to come straight out of the box in the 2024 Daytona 500. The transition will take time as the two begin to work together – but Haley said he’s committed to RWR long-term.
“It’s just a process,” he mentioned. “I get that on the surface it doesn’t look like the best move, but I think three, five years, especially like I mentioned the charter agreement, the TV agreement, and just the political uncertainty of, of election being next year, there’s a lot more to it than just this four side of it, and I have to protect myself.”
While the contract will keep Haley behind the wheel of a Rick Ware Racing car for the foreseeable future, Haley said that initially Ware tried to sign him to a lifetime agreement – but instead the two agreed on something realistic.
“Honestly, Rick wanted me to sign for a lifetime, but I had to keep back-pedaling. He wanted to sign me forever,” Hayley said with a smile.”
Haley said opportunities were still available to remain at Kaulig in 2024, but the model wasn’t cohesive.
“That’s where Kaulig was too,” he said. “I called Chris (Rice) and Matt (Kaulig) after it went out and they both told me they would have loved to stay with me forever, but the economics of the sport right now are just not in a position where a driver like me who doesn’t have a lot of sponsorship can thrive.”
“I am really so excited to step in this (new) role and hopefully be what the team can build around.”
Without the RFK alliance, Haley said he likely would not have made the transition to his new ride for 2024 but knowing that RFK co-owner Brad Keselowski and team president Steve Newmark have a vast interest in seeing RWR thrive in the future with their assistance was enough for Haley to make the swap.
“Rick has shown a lot of want to win and want to run better and I think the RFK alliance was the first step,” Haley said. “If you don’t have a manufacturer-backed team., you have to sign with someone like that.
“I am going to an alliance team, to a bigger organization. I am excited Ford gets a new body next year, so I think that will a step in the right direction as well.”
Rick Ware Racing team owner Rick Ware said he’s beyond thrilled to welcome Haley to his organization next season.
“Well, so, you know, he had to give up a lot to come over here,” Ware said Saturday afternoon at Pocono.
“And I had to give up a lot to give them because we both wanted to be together, because we both believed in a year or two down the road. I think there’s a lot of synergy there.”
Ware said there were a lot of positives that made the pairing make sense, but he said not only his belief in Hayley’s ability but also believing he has grabbed one of the sport’s most underrated drivers is a great gift.
“We need somebody that is consistent, fast. He’s, he’s just, he’s just a great race driver. And we had an opportunity to look at that. And I’m thankful that we did. “I’m just really excited, because we’re just working hard every day, and we’re gonna continue to work hard. And I’m thankful for the opportunity.
“I think consistently, if you look at his stats, I mean, I think across the board, he’s the most underrated driver in NASCAR.
“There’s not a lot of flash and in storyline behind him, but he’s always running up front, he’s won in every division. And I absolutely think he can be that piece. And that’s one reason why we have them, it’s, this is a very, very tough garage. “
Ware said he was glad the persistency paid off.
“You have to take baby steps, and you have to have people believe in you.,” Ware said. “I’m just excited as a RWR family that he’s even willing to consider coming to race with us. And I think he’s awesome things, you know, physically of how we were doing it.
“And conceptually, what we’re trying to do that he had some comfort there, and you know, the kid’s only 24 years old. So, you know, it’s still a lot, a lot of time to achieve a lot of things.”
As for the contract terms, Ware smiled, “Lifetime plus two years. So, you have to start somewhere because you know, a little bit, a little bit of it is kind of like dating, everybody has the best intentions, this business will surprise you and break you and disappoint you.
“But I think the whole plan was to continue to just grow as a team and interaction to be involved with you. I think he’s a little bit of an underused asset as far as the Promote ability. I mean, he’s really quiet but he’s a great funny kid.
“And I think that’s going to bode well with the RWR and the way we try to race our whole platform cross promoting all of our drivers and riders and all the things that we do and I think he’s gonna enjoy being part of that and we’re gonna go to work for him on that aspect really hard as well.”
Before Haley can think about transitioning to his new role next season, he has to finish out the remaining three months of the season driving the No. 31 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing – and say with confidence he in a good place with the organization.
“We’re fine. Everything’s fine,” Hayley sounded.
“Chris and Matt were great on the phone. They understood it. They told me that would love to keep me forever, but the economics just weren’t there. I think I could have done another deal with Kaulig, but like I said, for where everything at in the sport. And country is right now, I think long term, this has been better for me.
“None of us gave up on each other and we won’t the rest of the year. It’s just where the sports at.
“I mean, there’s absolutely no bad blood, you know, even just not like I left on bad terms, or they fired me or anything. I mean, it’s just, just business. It’s just business.
“You know, I think that it’ll probably work out for the better for them to have a driver with a little bit more backing behind them and help them out in that way. And, you know, I think Rick took an opportunity on me and I took an opportunity on him and I you know, honestly, it’ll probably work out for the best but I’m excited to stay with Kaulig for the rest of the season and finish off.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01 or email: [email protected].
