MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Rick Ware Racing officials have announced the addition of veteran road racer Joey Hand to the team for select NASCAR Cup Series races this year.
Hand will pilot the No. 15 Ford Mustang at all road course races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
“I am thrilled to have Joey Hand back with the RWR family for 2022,” said team owner Rick Ware. “Joey did a great job for us this past year at the ROVAL, and I can’t wait to see what he will do this year with the Next Gen cars and our Ford partnership.”
Hand, a Sacramento, Calif., native, has competed primarily in the sports car world as a Ford factory driver. Through the years, Hand has collected numerous wins across multiple racing series, the most notable being the 2016 24 Hours Le Mans winner, 2017 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona winner and American Le Mans Series GT champion.
He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut last year, competing for Rick Ware Racing at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. He finished 27th.
“First off, I just want to thank Ford Performance and Rick Ware Racing for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to race in NASCAR. It has always been high on my list, and I had a ton of fun last year,” said the 42-year-old Hand. “Throughout the race weekend and the subsequent Next Gen test session, Rick and I developed a great relationship. With the introduction of the Next Gen car, I feel it levels the playing field and we have a legitimate chance of running up front. With support from Ford Performance and Stewart-Haas Racing, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be competitive at road courses. I feel I am already comfortable with the Next Gen car because of many similarities to the GT cars I have driven in the past.”
Hand is scheduled to pilot the No. 15 Ford Mustang for all six road course races throughout the NASCAR Cup Series season: Circuits of the Americas (March 27), Sonoma Raceway (June 12), Road America (July 3), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (July 31), Watkins Glen International (Aug. 21) and Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Oct. 9).
Primary sponsors will be announced at a later date.
“Joey has been a key resource for our NASCAR drivers the past couple of years as far as helping them with their road course skills, so seeing him get this opportunity with RWR is only going to make our program better,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We all have great faith in Joey’s ability and even though he has only one NASCAR start to his credit, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him in victory lane this year.”