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Rick Ware Racing has taken a major step for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season and beyond. The team has announced an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush-Yates Engines, bringing them into the Ford Performance family.
RWR made the announcement on Sunday, October 10, prior to the Bank of America Roval 400. The organization also issued a press release providing further details about the alliances. The engine program, in particular, will include a leased engine package for 2021 Next Gen testing, as well as the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“I am really excited about what 2022 has in store for RWR,” said team owner Rick Ware in a press release. “We have been waiting for the Next Gen car to become a reality and step up our program. RWR has had a great relationship with SHR over the years, from Cole Custer making his Cup series debut with us, to utilizing their development pit crew over the years.
“I am excited to have an engineering alliance with a great team like SHR, to be able to assist in building our cars and have the support thru this major development process, all the way thru the 2022 season. Partnering with Roush Yates Engines and SHR is the logical next step in continuing to grow as an organization.”
RWR Has Worked With Multiple Manufacturers in NASCAR
The move to Ford Performance serves as a significant change for the team with four cars currently active in the Cup Series. The reason is that RWR did not have a previous alliance. The team just worked with multiple manufacturers while competing at tracks across the country.
For example, Josh Bilicki drove the No. 52 Ford Mustang during the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway while Joey Gase drove the No. 53 Ford Mustang. Teammates Cody Ware and Garrett Smithley both headed to the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Chevrolet Camaros.
This trend has continued throughout the final year of the current generation of stock car. However, RWR drivers will have a more unified look in 2022 and beyond as they all work with Ford Performance, SHR, and Roush-Yates.
“We are excited to welcome Rick Ware Racing to the Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines Family. We look forward to working together for the debut of the Next Gen Car and 2022 NASCAR race season,” said Doug Yates in the press release.
Ware Provided More Details About the 2022 Lineup
The news of the new alliances was not the only takeaway from Ware’s October 10 press conference. The team owner also provided more details about his 2022 plans and the number of cars that will head to the track each week.
According to FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass, Ware said that he has sponsorship in hand for two cars. He has not yet determined if he will field a third car during the 2022 season, and he does not expect to have four at the moment.
Ware previously teased a smaller lineup when he appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on July 31. He explained that his goal was to have two “really strong” cars in 2022. He also said that COVID-19 delaying the debut of the Next Gen car disrupted some of his plans.
“My dream and my goal is to step everything up to the next level, both competition-wise, technology-wise,” Ware said. “You know, we got our first charter in [2019]. The whole idea and premise then was: we were going to start building cars at the end of [2019]. [2020] was when we were going to be rolling out.
“Obviously, the whole world changed. It all got pushed back. We’re kind of one year behind where we thought we were going to be, but we’re trying to have two really strong cars for next year.”
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