NASCAR Cup Series team changes drivers for Southern 500
By Asher Fair
Another race, another driver change for one of the two teams that have split a charter car between multiple drivers throughout the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Cody Ware has competed in the two most recent and four of the five most recent races for his father's Rick Ware Racing team, doing so behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford that has also been driven by Kaz Grala and Riley Herbst this year.
In his sixth start of the season, Ware finished in a career-high fourth place in this past Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
However, he will not be back behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford for this coming Sunday night's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Rick Ware Racing change drivers for Darlington
Grala, who leads all drivers with 15 starts behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford this year, is set to return for this Sunday's 367-lap race around the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) egg-shaped Darlington, South Carolina, marking his first start since early July when he drove the car at the Chicago Street Course.
It is expected that Grala will compete in a majority of the 10 upcoming playoff races, though only the mid-September road course race at Watkins Glen International is currently confirmed on his schedule.
Ware does not have any more starts scheduled for the 2024 season, though it was said that he would compete in 10 races this year, so he will likely compete in four more before the season ends. Herbst does not have any more starts scheduled for the 2024 season.
The other charter car that has been shared by multiple drivers during the 2024 season is Kaulig Racing's No. 16 Chevrolet. Shane van Gisbergen, who made his fifth start of the year at Daytona, is set to return at Darlington for the second of four consecutive starts.
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The Cook Out Southern 500 is set to be broadcast live on USA Network from Darlington Raceway starting at 6:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, September 1. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss the last race before the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs!
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