NASCAR team confirms change, driver returning for first race since Daytona

Three drivers have spent time behind the wheel of Rick Ware Racing's No. 15 Ford through the first 11 races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Riley Herbst opened up the year by competing for the team in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway before Kaz Grala, who drove for Front Row Motorsports in the "Great American Race", stepped in for the next eight races.

Then the team brought back Cody Ware, who was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR last April following his arrest. Ware was reinstated by NASCAR over the offseason and made his first start in over a year at Talladega Superspeedway. Grala returned for this past weekend's race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Now Herbst is set to return for this Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking his first ever non-superspeedway race at NASCAR's top level.

Riley Herbst to compete at Kansas

Herbst competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing, and the Xfinity Series is not scheduled to be in action this weekend at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Kansas City, Kansas oval.

The 25-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native has only ever competed at Daytona and Talladega in the Cup Series, making three starts at the former and two at the latter. He competed in one race at each for Rick Ware Racing last season before competing in one race at each for Front Row Motorsports later in the year.

His career-high finish is a ninth place effort at Talladega last October. He also finished in 10th in his Cup Series debut at Daytona last February. He finished in 24th in this year's Daytona 500.

Beyond this weekend, Herbst does not have any more scheduled starts in the Cup Series.

Grala is set to run a 25-race schedule for Rick Ware Racing behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford, and he has made nine starts thus far. However, locations have only been confirmed for three more of his starts, those being the ones at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, June 16, New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 23, and Watkins Glen International on Sunday, September 15.

No locations have been confirmed for any additional starts set to be made by Ware. It was said that he would compete in "about 10" races, though the addition of Herbst this weekend would appear to have cut that number down to nine, unless Grala's schedule gets reduced.

The No. 15 Ford is one of just two shared charter entries, the other being Kaulig Racing's No. 16 Chevrolet.

DraftKings Sportsbook lists Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson as the favorite to win Sunday's race at Kansas. Full odds can be found here.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

The AdventHealth 400 is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Kansas Speedway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 5. If you have not yet begun a free trial of FuboTV, do so now and don't miss it!