Haley, signed on to RWR final season after it grew to become clear he wouldn’t be returning to Kaulig Racing, the place he had run a number of seasons in each the Cup and Xfinity sequence.
RWR, dedicated to bettering its efficiency, had already entered right into a technical alliance with RFK Racing the yr prior and was on the lookout for a proficient driver to assist enhance its stature within the Cup sequence.
RWR additionally fields a group within the NHRA, in addition to the IndyCar Collection, and is concerned in sports activities automobile racing as properly.
Whereas the 25-year-old native of Winamac, Ind., is at the moment thirtieth within the sequence standings, he has a pair of top-10 finishes and three finishes of thirteenth or higher within the final 5 races.
Justin Haley, Rick Ware Racing, MotoRad Ford Mustang
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Two of his greatest hits in factors got here when he was compelled out of the Sonoma race early with a steering subject, and he was disqualified at Circuit of the Americas when his automobile didn’t meet minimal post-race weight necessities.
“It undoubtedly took a while at the beginning of the season to, you understand, really feel like we ere snug,” Haley stated. “It clearly took a while for me and Chris Lawson (crew chief) and everybody at Rick Ware Racing to essentially mesh.
“The previous month, I really feel like we’ve been a fifteenth place automobile simply, you understand even (at Sonoma) we had been working fifteenth when our energy steering gave out. So, yeah, me and the group have undoubtedly discovered one thing that works.
“RFK clearly has loads of pace, and you understand we get loads of information from them that we attempt to apply. Everybody’s working exhausting.”
One space the place Haley believes his RWR group may enhance and will assist them take higher benefit of the pace they’ve of their automobiles is qualifying.
Regular enchancment
Even in Haley’s greatest runs this season he’s needed to begin from deep within the subject. His greatest begin this season was thirteenth at Atlanta and he’s had simply two high 20 begins within the first 17 races.
“Qualifying is a wrestle that we’ve had from the beginning of the yr. You understand, we began off qualifying within the 30s after which we had been form of within the excessive 20s. This week and we had been nineteenth,” he stated.
“So, it simply takes it a second. It’s actually exhausting to simulate qualifying runs typically. I really feel like with the set-ups we run, that are form of based mostly round Brad (Keselowski) and what he does, you all the time form of see Brad come on like late in a run.
“I’m unsure if it’s you understand what we do with camber or issues like that simply to not put on the tires early on a run, however undoubtedly we’ve been engaged on it and placing emphasis and qualifying.”
Having a neater path to the entrance of the sphere helps scale back the possibilities of getting caught up in accidents but in addition places the group is a greater place to take benefit ought to he attain the entrance.
“Proper now, my automobiles drive adequate that should you give us clear air, I do suppose we may win. However, you understand, I feel you give half the sphere clear air they usually can win,” Haley stated.
“Like I stated our automobiles drive good we have now nice execution currently. We’ll simply hold transferring ahead there. There’s rather a lot to maintain progressing on.
“However you understand, I’ve by no means been on this place the place I’ve had such quick, robust automobiles week in and week out. They’re actually as aggressive as something I’ve ever drove.”
