“I am little disappointed”: NASCAR YouTuber makes his case on Rick Ware Racing’s newest full-time driver for upcoming season

NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp recently reacted to the news that Cody Ware would be joining his father's team, Rick Ware Racing for the 2025 Cup Series season. Cody will be driving the #51 car for the team full-time this year, which prompted a reaction of disappointment from Estepp, who believes the decision might be a step in the wrong direction for the team.

Sharing his thoughts to his YouTube channel, Estepp stated he understood how RWR came to the decision to select Ware for this year, saying:

"His father owns the team - I get it, I get why they would make this decision. I guess I am a little disappointed only because I do believe this move will somewhat stunt the team's growth at least in the short term."[10:08]

The past season was Rick Ware Racing's most successful season, finishing with 488 points, the team's highest points finish since it began racing in the Cup Series full-time in 2017. However, with Cody joining the team full-time this year, Estepp believes this may lead to some stagnation for the team, saying:

“I think [in] 2025 they might plateau at least in the short term.” [10:54]

Cody Ware will be replacing Corey LaJoie, who raced for Rick Ware's team in the last seven races of the season. Also on the team for RWR last year were Justin Haley, Riley Herbst, and Kaz Grala. Haley had the most starts for the team, driving the #51 car for 29 race starts in 2024.

Cody Ware had nine starts for Rick Ware Racing last year, scoring an average finish of 21, with one top five finish.

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Rick Ware explains why Cody Ware has been chosen for 2025

Cody Ware will drive the #51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this year, joined by Billy Plourde as his crew chief. Team owner Rick Ware explained why they chose to move forward with Cody as the pick for the full-time season, saying (via Toby Christie):

“Cody made a lot out of the nine races he ran for us last year and proved that he was deserving of a fulltime opportunity. Running a part-time schedule isn’t easy because it’s hard to develop consistency when you’re out of the car for weeks on end. But Cody made it work and he and crew chief Billy Plourde developed a good rapport. It made sense to see what could come of their collective efforts when they’re working alongside one another week in and week out. A full season together provides the best chance for everyone to succeed.”

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season will begin with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray on February 2nd.