The No. 51 Ford Mustang will have a different driver at Martinsville Speedway. Rick Ware Racing will turn to Zane Smith as Cody Ware serves an indefinite suspension due to an arrest on a felony assault charge.
The updated entry list for the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway provided the announcement. It now shows that Smith, the reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion, will be the driver of the No. 51 Ford Mustang during the NASCAR Cup Series race. Rick Ware Racing also confirmed the news with a brief statement.
Zane Smith to Drive No. 51 Ford for RWR at Martinsville Speedway
MOORESVILLE, NC (April 12, 2023) – Zane Smith will drive the No. 51 Ford at Martinsville Speedway this weekend for Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Smith, the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion,…
Smith will have Jerry Kelley as his crew chief and Biohaven/Jacob Co. as his primary partners. Kelley took over the No. 51 team ahead of the 2023 season, and he has worked with both Ware and Matt Crafton.
Smith will pull double duty during the race weekend at Martinsville Speedway. He will make his regularly scheduled Truck Series start on Friday, April 14 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1) while driving for Front Row Motorsports. He will then suit up for Rick Ware Racing on Sunday, April 16 (3 p.m. ET, FS1).
Smith Has Limited Cup Series Experience
GettyCody Ware drives during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway.
The trip to Martinsville Speedway marks the second time that Smith has served as a replacement driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. He also replaced Chris Buescher (COVID) at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2022 while making his first career start.
Smith expanded his racing schedule entering the 2023 season. Front Row Motorsports announced that he would make six starts in the No. 38 Ford Mustang while replacing Todd Gilliland. Smith would also make another start in a third entry.
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The California native first drove the No. 36 to start the season. He beat out other open entries to qualify for the Daytona 500 and then he finished 13th overall while missing incidents that knocked 16 other drivers out of the race.
Smith’s most recent start in the Cup Series was during the West Coast swing. He took over the No. 38 Ford at Phoenix Raceway, and he finished 31st overall.
Smith Has Some Previous Experience at Martinsville Speedway
GettyZane Smith celebrates a championship win.
Smith will now make his fourth Cup Series start while driving for Rick Ware Racing, and he will do so at a track where he has delivered a stunning win in another series. He will take on Martinsville Speedway.
Smith has made three Truck Series starts at the Virginia short track — two with GMS Racing and one with Front Row Motorsports. He finished third in 2020, first in 2021, and ninth in 2022 while securing a spot in the championship four all three seasons.
The win, in particular, unfolded in overtime after a contentious afternoon of racing. Stewart Friesen and Todd Gilliland lined up side-by-side on the front row as they both attempted to capture the all-important win.
Once the green flag waved, the two drivers bumped doors while Smith dove to the inside and took the field three wide. They continued to battle until Friesen accidentally spun Gilliland into the wall while taking the white flag. He then spun entering Turn 1 while Smith jumped to the lead.
The multiple spins brought out the caution flag for the final time. Smith was in the lead at the time of caution, so he became the official winner. Austin Hill finished second after avoiding the spinning Friesen.
Winning a Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway to reach the championship four is significantly different than making a Cup Series start with a new team and a new crew chief. Though Smith will have time to put his experience to use as he learns the braking points at a familiar track during practice on Saturday, April 15.
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Rick Ware Racing Names Replacement Driver for Cody Ware