Photo Credit: Steven Muncie/OnPitRoad.com
The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie class added a new driver today as Rick Ware Racing announced Ray Black, Jr. as its primary driver for 2018.
The announcement comes off the heels of Black making three Cup starts throughout the playoffs this season, including most recently at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Black scored a best finish of 34th in his three starts. That finish came at Texas Motor Speedway in November.
https://twitter.com/RayBlackJr/status/933410863532380160
Rick Ware Racing, which ran most of the races throughout the season in 2017, will run full-time again in 2018. The team has acquired a charter this time around, and will have a guaranteed spot in each race of the season, including the Daytona 500. It’s not yet known who RWR got their charter from.
In addition to fielding the No. 51 full-time, Ware is also expected to field a second part-time entry for Cody Ware, Kyle Weatherman, John Graham and B.J. McLeod, per Frontstretch.
In 55 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts, Black has a best finish of 12th coming earlier this year at Daytona International Speedway. His best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finish also came at Daytona where he finished fifth in the season-opening race in 2015.
Black probably spins more than the rest of the Xfinity drivers put together. He’s usually good for at least 1 a race where he loses the rear end. Sad to see he’ll be in Cup, another backmarker is not really helpful.