Information By: HEATHER GRIFFIN / RICK WARE RACING – BROOKLYN, MI
RICK WARE RACING
FireKeepers Casino 400
Date: Aug. 18-19, 2024
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 24 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/75 laps/80 laps)
Note 1: The race’s first 51 laps were run on Sunday, but rain forced the remainder of the race to be run on Monday.
Note 2: Race extended six laps past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Tyler Reddickof 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
RWR Race Finish:
● Justin Haley (Started 29th, Finished 20th/ Running, completed 206 of 206 laps)
● Cody Ware (Started 36th, Finished 21st/Running, completed 206 of 206 laps)
RWR Points:
● Justin Haley (28th with 346 points)
● Cody Ware (36th with 65 points)
Haley Notes:
● Haley earned his tenth top-20 of the season and second top-20 in four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan.
● His best finish at Michigan remains 17th, earned in August 2022.
● Haley’s 20th-place finish was a team-best for RWR at Michigan. The previous best finish was a 22nd-place result, earned by Cody Ware in 2022.
Ware Notes:
● Ware’s 21st-place result also surpassed the team’s previous best finish at Michigan and marked his best finish at the track.
● Ware finished ninth in Stage 2 to earn two bonus points.
Race Notes:
● Tyler Reddick won the FireKeepers Casino 400 to score his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Michigan. His margin of victory over second-place William Byron was .168 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 41 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Reddick leaves Michigan as the new championship leader with a 10-point advantage over second-place Chase Elliott.
Sound Bites:
“I’m really happy we were able to get a top-20 today. I felt like we could’ve maybe been a top-10 car. We just got behind early and didn’t quite get a chance to get back on the lead lap and fight to get up front until right at the end. Still, best finish for RWR at a track again. Everyone at the organization has done a great job working hard to improve and keep things on track, we just have to keep it up during this final stretch.”– Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Fraternal Order of Eagles Ford Mustang Dark Horse
“Overall, I’m pretty happy with how today went. Our Parts Plus Ford Mustang Dark Horse was quick from Sunday to Monday. To run up front and get stage points and walk away with my best Michigan finish is encouraging. We are continuing to build on our momentum with the No. 15 team this year. Happy for the RWR organization, as a whole, to have another solid day. Looking forward to getting after it at Daytona.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 15 Parts Plus Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 24 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The race begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.