The 24-year-old from Boston, Massachusetts, will be driving for Rick Ware Racing in 2024.
Kaz will be driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang in 25 NASCAR Cup Series races, starting with The Clash in LA, with the first points-paying race will be in Atlanta.
Grala ran full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last year for Sam Hunt Racing and finished the year with 2 Top 5’s and 9 Top 10’s while finishing 17th in points.
He has made 7 previous NCS starts with the last being in 2022 for The Money Team Racing with a 23rd place finish in the Cola-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
“Kaz Grala is a talented and tenacious driver who brings a lot to our race team,” said Rick Ware, owner of Rick Ware Racing. “He has an incredible work ethic and leverages every opportunity to its full potential. He’s an asset inside and outside of the car who will help make our program better.”
“Kaz is another crucial piece of our organization, and for the same reasons we brought Justin Haley on board, we feel Kaz can also contribute immediately,” Ware said. “Kaz wants to make a difference and, above all, he wants to perform. That’s the kind of drive and determination all of us have at RWR.”
“I’ve gotten the chance to race in the Cup Series a handful of times already, so I know how big of a jump it is from the Xfinity Series,” Grala said. “The depth of talent in Cup is steep. It really is the highest level of motorsport in the U.S., with both the quality of teams and the drivers. Last year, the Xfinity Series had a particularly deep field of full-time competitors, so I feel like 2023 was the right year for me to gain experience ahead of this next step in my career.
“I’ve been really impressed by RWR’s vision and the plan they’ve laid out to get where they want to be,” Grala said. “This sport is all about people, and I’ve learned that having everyone pulling in the same direction is the key to success. Every single person at RWR is a racer, and they want to prove themselves in the Cup Series just as badly as I do, so it’s a perfect fit. I’m excited to see what we’re able to accomplish together. I think we’re going to surprise some people this year.”
Rick Ware Racing will have a strong alliance with RFK Racing for the 2024 season as well as previously announced by the team. That means that RWR will have shop space at the RFK facility and more. Front Row Motorsports used to have an RFK until late last year and has since switched to Team Penske for the 2024 season.
Image: Patrick Vallely