LONG POND, Pa. — Justin Haley surprised the NASCAR world on Thursday after the 24-year-old inked a multi-year deal with Rick Ware Racing beginning next season.
Haley, who has competed with Kaulig Racing since 2019 in his first year of NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, will end his tenure with the two-car NASCAR Cup Series operation at season’s end.
While the news may have surprised many, Haley believes it was a move he had to make to protect himself from the harsh realities that the industry brings.
“I think there’s a lot of uncertainty in the sport right now, in the world really,” Haley said. “Obviously there’s a charter agreement that’s not finalized, there’s a TV deal that’s not finalized and the election is next year.
“I think for Matt (Kaulig) and Kaulig Racing, where they are, obviously he’s a businessman and he needs to make business decisions. I think we were close to doing a deal. I feel like it was a probable option,” Haley continued.
“I feel like I had a few deals and Rick (Ware) just kept coming and calling, and just gave me a really good deal.”
Despite RWR’s minimal Cup Series success since its full-time inception in 2017, a key factor in Haley’s decision to join the team came from its alliance with RFK Racing.
With the alliance to one of NASCAR’s top tier teams, it allows for more growth at RWR.
“I believe in what they’ve been able to do, especially with the RFK alliance,” Haley said. “Brad Keselowski and Steve (Newmark, President) over at RFK were very helpful in my decision process. They were convincing as well.
“I think with our alliance with RFK, Rick Ware, I think maybe on the surface, it might look like an odd move, but there’s a lot more depth to it then you might think.”
Having the announcement ahead of the end of the season allows for more time for both parties to find sponsorship for next season. With Haley not bringing in much sponsorship of his own, the more time the better.
“This deal with Rick was done pretty much the week of Chicago, so probably a month ago at this point, it’s been done for awhile,” Haley said. “To get sponsors and to sell a certain car, you have to release that.
“We had to put it out there that I was making the transition to RWR and that we could start to sell that sponsorship. If you are trying to look for sponsors and figure it out, and Rick’s trying to look for sponsors to make the business side of the sport go around, but you can’t sell anything because you don’t have anything signed, it’s impossible.
“For us, obviously, it was important for us to release that, to get all of our sponsors signed and ready for next year. Obviously, it wasn’t the best. I want to do the best for Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice.
“They’ve been really good to me for a long time. For me personally and selfishly, we had to release and sign.”
Keyword: Haley’s Move To RWR: ‘I Have To Protect Myself’