On Tuesday, Front Row Motorsports unveiled Zane Smith as their third and concluding driver for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series, positioning Rick Ware Racing as the sole team yet to reveal their roster. Corey LaJoie, who piloted the #51 Ford in the latter part of 2024, appears unlikely to return. Yet, an alternative remains — Rick Ware’s own son, Cody Ware.
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Jordan Bianchi, a journalist from The Athletic, reported, “Front Row announcing Zane Smith leaves Rick Ware Racing as the lone charter team to not yet announce its lineup for the 2025 season. Cody Ware is considered the leading candidate to drive the No. 51 Ford on a full-time basis, but again, nothing has been officially announced.”
Despite these developments, the NASCAR community remains skeptical. One fan sharply criticized the team’s overall performance, stating, “They might legitimately be one of the worst teams ever.”
Meanwhile, another fan expressed concern over their potential choice of driver with a pointed remark, “GET READY FOR WRECKS. HOW CAN THEY LET HIM RACE??”
Front Row announcing Zane Smith leaves Rick Ware Racing as the lone charter team to not yet announce its lineup for the 2025 season. Cody Ware is considered the leading candidate to drive the No. 51 Ford on a full-time basis, but again, nothing has been officially announced.
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) January 2, 2025
One opined, “Putting Ware in that car over Lajoie is insane lmao.” Another NASCAR enthusiast stated “Honestly figured LaJoie would end up with one of them. Seemed like he actually improved and obviously he brings a decent sponsor lineup that RWR could really use.”
In the 2024 season, Kaz Grala took the helm of the #15 Ford for 25 races starting in Atlanta, with Cody Ware stepping in for nine races and achieving a top-5 finish in one, and Riley Herbst driving in four races.
At the close of the season, Rick Ware Racing opted to lease the #15’s charter to RFK Racing for their #60 car in 2025. Therefore, if Rick Ware is considering a spot for his son, the #51 car would be the likely seat.
As it stands, Tim Brown is the sole driver confirmed for the team, slated to compete in the #15 at the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025.
Why are NASCAR fans hesitant to see Cody Ware take the wheel of the #51 car?
Cody’s April 2023 arrest, facing a charge of assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor assault on a female, cast a long shadow of negative publicity over him.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office set his bond at $3,000, and NASCAR took the step of suspending him indefinitely. However, by December 2023, the charges were dismissed, leading to his reinstatement.
Despite his legal clearance, the court of public opinion remains unsettled. Cody’s continued association with controversies unrelated to him underscores this point. Additionally, his lackluster performance on the track has further fueled fans’ reluctance to support his return to the driver’s seat.
In the 106 starts Ware made in the Cup Series in 8 years, he has just managed to finish two races in top-10, and one in top-5.
