Where Will Kaz Grala Go in 2025?

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What’s Happening?

Rick Ware Racing is one of the most interesting NASCAR Cup Series teams of 2024, and the anchor driver of the team’s No. 15 car is Kaz Grala. However, he is not quite a full-time Cup Series driver with the team, so could we see Grala go somewhere else in 2025?

  • Kaz Grala is getting his first extended look in the Cup Series this season. He’s shown some promise in his first 15 starts with three top-20 finishes and a best finish of 14th at Atlanta in March. However, is it enough for him to get a bigger opportunity in 2025?
  • Rick Ware Racing has improved since 2024, but they still rank near the bottom of the owner’s points. Without a full-time ride, Grala might look elsewhere to see if something is available.
  • Fans often look to these “All-Star Cars” for the Silly Season movement. Drivers who impress in these rides often become candidates for bigger rides.

Stay at Rick Ware Racing (Cup)

Kaz Grala is currently fitting in fine with Rick Ware Racing, a team whose trajectory is going upwards. Why not stick with that team, especially if the funding is still there to compete? Yes, RWR is still not at the level of other teams, but they’re getting better.

Why not stick with the same team and try to work upwards? As we see on this list, very few realistically available teams for Grala are a definite upgrade at the Cup Series level, so it might make the most sense to stick with RWR.

Kaulig Racing (Cup or Xfinity)

Kaulig Racing is a struggling team right now, but Team President Chris Rice teased last month that something is happening behind the scenes. Could that mean a new driver like Kaz Grala joining the fray? Kaulig still has that open All-Star Car, the No. 16, that Grala could slot nicely into.

However, is Kaulig much of an upgrade over Rick Ware Racing? Kaulig currently sits 31st and 32nd in Owner’s points, with Justin Haley, Grala’s RWR teammate, piloting the No. 51 car to 30th. However, Kaulig is still a weekly race-win threat in Xfinity, and Grala might enjoy hopping in good equipment should that opportunity open up.

The Wood Brothers (Cup)

The Wood Brothers seems likely to get rid of Harrison Burton, as he is on his way to another subpar season in 2024. However, is Grala at the top of The Wood Brothers’ list? SHR-free agents are bound to be looking at this ride.

According to Adam Stern, Josh Berry recently met with The Wood Brothers, so Grala may have a lot of competition for this ride. However, it is a team that made the Playoffs in 2017 with Ryan Blaney and in 2020 with Matt DiBenedetto.

Haas Factory Team (Cup or Xfinity)

With Gene Haas staying in the sport with his newish “Haas Factory Team,” he needs one Cup Series driver and two Xfinity Series drivers. Cole Custer is obviously a candidate for one of these rides, but what about Grala? Grala has funding, as he was able to nab the RWR seat.

Grala could enter the Cup Series with a single-car team or enter a very good Xfinity Series program. Remember that SHR won the Xfinity Series Championship last year with Custer, so it could be an opportunity for Grala to win races.

AM Racing (Xfinity)

AM Racing is currently struggling with Hailie Deegan behind the wheel. The team was considering starting a second car during the off-season but did not go through with it. Could they start a second car and slot Grala into it?

Deegan might benefit from having a veteran on her team. However, could Deegan have performed poorly enough for AM Racing to let her go? Maybe Grala slots into that spot if Deegan is let go.

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