Kaz Grala to run majority of 2024 NASCAR Cup schedule with RWR

Grala, who ran full-time in the Xfinity Series last year with Sam Hunt Racing, will drive RWR’s No. 15 Ford this season as a teammate to Justin Haley, who will drive the No. 51.

The 25-year-old Boston native has made seven previous Cup starts, with a pair of top-10 finishes. He finished seventh in his series debut on the Daytona Road Course in 2020 and was sixth at Talladega in 2021.

“Kaz Grala is a talented and tenacious driver who brings a lot to our race team,” said team owner Rick Ware. “He has an incredible work ethic and leverages every opportunity to its full potential.

“He’s an asset inside and outside of the car who will help make our program better.”

Grala found early success in his NASCAR career, winning the 2017 Truck series season opener at Daytona in his 10th series start. He became the youngest race winner in Daytona history at 18 years, 1 month and 26 days old.

In recent years, Grala has run mostly partial schedules in all three NASCAR national series – Cup Xfinity and Truck. He ran full-time in Xfinity last year with SHR and ended with nine top-10 finishes.

“I’ve found myself as an underdog at each level of NASCAR, and I feel I thrive in that position,” said Grala. “It’s important to get the most out of the car on restarts and in the closing laps of a race, all while taking care of the equipment, and those are my strengths.

“I also like to be hands-on with the team during the week, involved in what the next step is to advance our program.”

Grala will be paired with crew Billy Plourde.

“Kaz is another crucial piece of our organization and for the same reasons we brought Justin Haley on board, we feel Kaz can also contribute immediately,” Ware said. “Kaz wants to make a difference, and, above all, he wants to perform. That’s the kind of drive and determination all of us have at RWR.”

Grala will make his RWR debut in the preseason, non-points Busch Light Clash Feb. 4 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. His first regular-season race will be Feb. 25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.