24-year-old Justin Haley garnered heavy media attention when he switched to Rick Ware Racing (RWR) for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series. He seemingly faced difficulties adjusting to the Cup Series with Kaulig Racing after a somewhat successful Xfinity Series tenure, which saw him place third in 2020. Trading the stability of Kaulig with the unproven potential of RWR was indeed a bold move. To top it all off, he was “adamant” about picking his new crew chief, Chris Lawson, former crew chief for Zane Smith in his triumphant 2022 Camping Truck Series campaign.

This power play raises the question: What does Haley truly have in mind for 2024?

Justin Haley Building His Winning Team, Brick by Brick

Haley recognizes the doubts attached to his decisions. RWR have not had the same amount of success as Kaulig. But Haley sees potential. He believes in RWR’s promise, and more importantly, in Lawson’s ability to execute it. In an interview with Mike Bagley on the latest episode of NASCAR Live, the driver addressed the exciting new changes at his new team.

He said, “Big, big score for us [getting Lawson], everyone at Rick Ware Racing. I’ve been chasing after Chris Lawson since the day we announced we were going over there. So, yeah, I am super thankful that Rick and Robby allowed me to have full choice in my crew chief. They kinda let me go after whoever I wanted.”

This pursuit was not just smoke and mirrors, as Haley strongly believes that Lawson’s winning attitude and work ethic will catapult them to great heights. He explained further his reasons for hand-picking Lawson,

Reasoning his decision, he said, “Just like I said, he’s a winner. He will outwork everyone in the garage. I mean, he’ll work out everyone in the shop too. I mean, he’s just a go-getter, and that’s what I like about him. He definitely maximizes every key part of the car. He exploits all options and you know, I think we’re both young and want to achieve something and he believes in me and I believe in him and you know, taking us to Rick Ware and kind of plugging us into Rick’s already up and running system… I’m really excited for it.”

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Will This Finally Be the Year for RWR?

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With this strategic alliance, Haley hopes to overcome the obstacles he had during his last season at Kaulig Racing. Even though he finished second in the Chicago Street Race behind Shane Van Gisbergen, his overall performance was arguably not up to par. Nevertheless, Haley intends to maximize his potential by acquiring the help of a “winner” like Lawson.

Haley is realistic about the challenges ahead, despite his confidence. After securing the driver-crew chief combo, the #51 team and Rick Ware Racing are ready to start their next chapter. The stage has been set for the team to go after its first NASCAR Cup Series victory as the new pair will be hoping to get off to a quick start in their first test on February 4th at the Busch Light Clash.

Rick Ware Pairs Young Acquisition With Championship-Winning Crew Chief as He Prepares for His Debut