In his very first season with Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series, 25-year-old Justin Haley has created a team record. His ninth-place finish in Gateway on Sunday has now made him the only driver from the team to secure two top-10 finishes in three races. He’d finished ninth in Darlington previously. The result has made the young driver really proud of the work that his team has put in.
Advertisement
He told the press in the race’s aftermath, “It was a really good race for the MotoRad 51 team. I’m really proud of the strategy that the Rick Ware Racing team brought. It was a fast competitive car, and we were able to stay with it all day and make positive adjustments.” The final stage is where most of the difference came as the car could canter forward with great speed.
Justin Haley has finished top 10 in 2 of the last 3 races (Darlington & Gateway)
This is the first time in Rick Ware Racing HISTORY that a car has scored top 10s in 2 of 3 races. pic.twitter.com/bcOSNZuCH1
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) June 2, 2024
The result was Haley’s first top 10 in three starts at the Word Wide Technology Raceway. The team heads to the Sonoma Raceway next with some good momentum on its side. He sits 31st on the points table with teammate Cody Ware in 39th. Notably, his result also matched the best finish on a non-superspeedway track for Rick Ware Racing.
Why Justin Haley turned down the opportunity to run in the 2024 Indy 500
Rick Ware Racing is a team with cars in both NASCAR and the IndyCar Series. An opportunity of a lifetime came knocking on Haley’s door when the team wanted him to race in the 2024 Indy 500 on the past Memorial Day Weekend. He, however, chose to turn the offer down citing that he wasn’t yet ready to take on the challenge and that he wanted to focus on the Cup Series.
He reasoned to kickinthetires.net, “I’ve actually turned down one or two Indy 500 rides, which is surprising. I don’t feel like I’m quite ready for it yet, but I had an opportunity to run it a few years back and then I think one other time, so I don’t know – not quite yet. I’m not quite to the point in my career where I feel like that’s something I want to tackle.”
He also contended that the situation was far too right for Kyle Larson who had the backing of two giants in Hendrick Motorsports and McLaren. Haley reiterated that he would jump at the chance when he was at a better point in his career. The decision to focus on one route has helped him improve throughout his first 15 races with his team. Hopefully, he will continue to do so.
