It’s not an outcome Corey LaJoie wanted. Despite being forced to make a sensational switch from Spire Motorsports towards the end of the 2024 season, the North Carolina native struggled to impress in his short stint with Rick Ware Racing. Seven appearances in the No. 51 Ford failed to win over his new team’s hierarchy, forcing him to run part-time in the upcoming Cup Series campaign, where he will pilot the No. 01 Ford.

A key reason for LaJoie’s unfavorable circumstance is Cody Ware, who has taken over the seat in his family’s team. The 29-year-old will attempt to complete a full 36-race NASCAR Cup Series season for the first time in his decade-long career this year and has already outlined his targets for the upcoming breakthrough campaign.

2025 could be a busy year for Cody Ware

Rick Ware Racing’s decision to pick Cody Ware came with plenty of controversy. The inevitable whisper of nepotism was the dominant narrative within the NASCAR community, even though the North Carolina native showed glimpses of promise in his nine Cup Series starts in 2024. Driving the No. 15 Ford, the racer finished as high as fourth at Daytona International Speedway in the penultimate race of the regular season, which may have sealed his return to NASCAR’s highest level in a full-time capacity once again.

Cody Ware has been busy getting some valuable seat time ahead of his breakthrough campaign. Revealing his targets, the racer said, “We also have a sister car which is a Pro Late so we’re going to try to run North Wilkesboro in the All-Star weekend, going down to Florence on the same weekend as Darlington… as well as the All-American 400 the weekend after Phoenix. Our goal is to kind of prep for the Snowball in December and that’s why I want to learn as much as we can, given the fact that we’ve not really raced these much. The more seat time I can get now, it’s going to help us qualify.”

Despite being in his family-owned team, Ware is not taking his Cup Series chance for granted. The racer is eager to make his mark at the highest level in 2025 and is eying the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro and the two fixtures at Darlington Raceway to prove his talent. Knowing that preparation will be key to hit the ground running, the North Carolina native is looking forward to participating on several short tracks between the race weekends to get some valuable seat time.

Cody Ware is also eager to compete at the Snowball Derby, which is held at the iconic Five Flags Speedway every year after the NASCAR season is over. While tracks such as Florence or Cordele Motor Speedway are not a part of the Cup Series calendar, the racer is keen to develop his skills on the short tracks to become a well-rounded competitor. After returning to NASCAR’s premier series for the first time since 2022, Ware is aiming to see a significant performance improvement to retain his seat for years to come.

What can be expected from Ware in 2025?

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2024 was a good year for Rick Ware Racing. Before switching to Spire Motorsports, Justin Haley was performing admirably well in the No. 51 Ford, securing two top-ten finishes with an average finish of 23.1 and leading a total of 25 laps. Even though expectations will be high for Cody Ware, being the son of Rick Ware, the racer has plenty of reasons to be optimistic going into the 2025 season. For one, Justin Haley’s 2024 crew chief Billy Plourde has been brought back into the mix and will be atop the pit box for Ware’s team during the entire season.

With 106 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, Cody Ware has plenty of experience at the highest level. Describing his return as the “best opportunity I’ve had in NASCAR,” the North Carolina native will want to take this chance to prove a point. While chatter about nepotism will remain until the results prove otherwise, the 29-year-old will hope to get a couple of top-ten finishes in 2025 to finish inside the top 30 in the standings for the first time in his career.

Rick Ware Racing overachieved on several occasions with Justin Haley in 2024 and can build on those performances in the season ahead. Sharing his optimism ahead of the Cup Series campaign, Ware said, “I’ve improved as a driver and RWR has improved as a team.” Ultimately, the results will prove if the racer’s bold claim has any merit, but the team does seem to be on an upward trajectory since last year. The question is, can Cody Ware carry that momentum forward in 2025?