NASCAR Cup Series: Two driver changes confirmed for Michigan race

As a longtime NASCAR enthusiast with decades of watching paint-swapping, heart-stopping races under my belt, I can’t help but feel a certain thrill when teams shake things up and introduce new drivers into the fray. The upcoming FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway promises just that, with Rick Ware Racing fielding Cody Ware in the No. 15 Ford and Kaulig Racing putting A.J. Allmendinger behind the wheel of the No. 16 Chevrolet.

During the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series, two teams, Rick Ware Racing and Kaulig Racing, have utilized shared charter entries among various drivers. Specifically, the No. 15 Ford of Rick Ware Racing and the No. 16 Chevrolet of Kaulig Racing have seen a total of three and five different drivers, respectively.

Last Sunday evening at Richmond Raceway, Riley Herbst, representing Rick Ware Racing, and Ty Dillon, representing Kaulig Racing, each made their fourth start of the season. However, neither will participate in next Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.

Neither team plans to bring in a new driver this time, but they have chosen distinct drivers for the upcoming 200-lap FireKeepers Casino 400 at the four-cornered, 2-mile (3.219 km) oval track in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Rick Ware Racing, Kaulig Racing change drivers

Cody Ware and A.J. Allmendinger are all set for their fifth and ninth races of the season, respectively. They’ll be driving the No. 15 Ford and No. 16 Chevrolet, respectively. These two racers last competed in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just a month ago.

Arianne Allmendinger has participated in two additional races driving the No. 13 Chevrolet for Matt Kaulig’s team when they included that car as a non-charter entry. Consequently, this upcoming Sunday’s race will be his 11th NASCAR Cup Series appearance of the year.

As a long-time NASCAR fan with years of experience attending races and following the sport closely, I must admit that seeing MBM Motorsports absent from this week’s entry list was quite surprising to me. I had been looking forward to witnessing their seventh points race appearance of the 2024 season at Richmond Raceway, especially since they fielded the No. 66 Ford for Parker Retzlaff in the previous race. It’s always exciting to see new faces and teams participating in the sport, as it brings fresh energy and competition to the track. Hopefully, MBM Motorsports will return soon and continue their impressive season performance.

They intend to come back for the upcoming race at Daytona International Speedway next weekend, as well as five playoff races following that, although they haven’t finalized their drivers for any of these six events yet. So far this season, six different drivers have driven the No. 66 Ford.

For the upcoming race on Sunday, only charter cars have been included in the entry list. Consequently, there will be a total of 36 cars participating in the event.

Tune into the USA Network this Sunday, August 18, starting at 2:30 p.m. ET, as they broadcast the thrilling FireKeepers Casino 400 live from Michigan International Speedway. Don’t miss out on the excitement – sign up for a free FuboTV trial now to catch all the action!

2024-08-13 16:02