Through the first 12 points races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, as well as the preseason Cook Out Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium, the 36 full-time drivers have all been in their respective full-time entries each weekend.
That is set to change for this weekend's exhibition All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
All 36 full-time drivers are on the 38-car entry list at the four-turn, 0.625-mile (1.006-kilometer) North Wilkesboro, North Carolina oval, but one of them has moved to a part-time, non-chartered (open) car in a slick move by his team which actually secured them a surprise All-Star Race starting spot.
Cody Ware replaced in the No. 51 car
Rick Ware Racing have put Harrison Burton in Cody Ware's No. 51 Ford, locking Burton and the No. 51 car into the All-Star Race. Burton no longer competes full-time in the Cup Series, but because he won at Daytona International Speedway with Wood Brothers Racing in August, he is eligible for an automatic All-Star Race berth.
Burton is the only winner from 2024 or 2025 who no longer competes full-time in the Cup Series and did not have a ride for the All-Star Race. He competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for AM Racing.
Ware has instead been moved to Rick Ware Racing's No. 15 Ford, which has been run as the No. 01 Ford on three occasions for Corey LaJoie so far this season. The team also added the No. 15 car for Tim Brown at the Clash, but Brown failed to advance out of his heat race or the Last Chance Qualifier.
Ware would have had an uphill battle to make it into the 250-lap main event whether he was in the No. 51 Ford or the No. 15 Ford, as he sits in a distant last place in the point standings, among full-time drivers, and has not been competitive.
Only the top two (of 18) drivers in the 100-lap Open, plus the winner of the Fan Vote, among drivers not locked in who still have raceable cars, are set to join the 20 drivers already locked into the All-Star Race.
So guaranteeing themselves an All-Star Race spot with the signing of Burton is an extremely "big brain" move by Rick Ware Racing, which likely didn't have much of a chance to make it to the main event otherwise.
Beyond this weekend, Ware is still set to drive the No. 51 Ford full-time throughout the remainder of the season.
Fox Sports 1 is set to provide live coverage of both the All-Star Open and the All-Star Race from North Wilkesboro Speedway this Sunday, May 18. The Open is set to be shown live beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET, and the main event is set to be shown live beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss any of the action!