Rick Ware Racing announces Cody Ware will drive full-time in NASCAR Cup Series in 2025

Rick Ware Racing announced Wednesday that Cody Ware will pilot the No. 51 Ford full-time in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Billy Plourde will sit atop the pit box as Ware and the No. 51 team’s crew chief.

It’s a fulltime #NASCAR Cup Series drive for Cody Ware in 2025. The fourth-generation racer will pilot our No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with Billy Plourde as crew chief. pic.twitter.com/fDC2aL0YHN

— Rick Ware Racing (@RickWareRacing) January 15, 2025

Cody Ware, the son of team owner Rick Ware, has been with the team since 2017. The 29-year-old has had four previous stints inside the No. 51 car, driving full-time in 2021 and ’22. Ware missed four races in the 2021 season and then finished 32nd in the points standings the following season. He drove the No. 15 car for nine races this past season, finishing P4 in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

“The NASCAR Cup Series is where every driver wants to be and I’m grateful to be back fulltime,” Ware said in a statement. “I’ve improved as a driver and RWR has improved as a team, and this is, by far, the best opportunity I’ve had in NASCAR. I aim to make the most of it and earn the respect of my competitors.”

Rick Ware Racing going back to Cody Ware for No. 51 ride

The No. 51 car saw two drivers behind the wheel in 2024. First it was Justin Haley, who posted solid results before RWR and Spire Motorsports agreed to a driver swap for the final seven races of the season. Haley joined the No. 7 team at Spire, while Corey LaJoie came over to the No. 51 team. LaJoie’s audition included three top 20 finishes, but RWR decided against giving him the ride for 2025. LaJoie has yet to sign with a team for this season.

“Cody made a lot out of the nine races he ran for us last year and proved that he was deserving of a fulltime opportunity,” Rick Ware said. “Running a part-time schedule isn’t easy because it’s hard to develop consistency when you’re out of the car for weeks on end. But Cody made it work and he and crew chief Billy Plourde developed a good rapport.

“It made sense to see what could come of their collective efforts when they’re working alongside one another week in and week out. A full season together provides the best chance for everyone to succeed.”