MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Rick Ware Racing has added 22-year-old driver Michael Bumgarner to its burgeoning late model program.
Bumgarner will pilot the No. 51 Chevrolet in a collection of Late Model Stock events in 2026. His 15-race schedule will feature select zMAX CARS Tour races, the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown, and weekly events at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, which includes many of the track’s signature events, notably the Aug. 1 Jack Ingram Memorial, the Sept. 5 Bobby Isaac Memorial and the Nov. 7 Fall Brawl.
“Michael has shown tremendous ability and has proven to be a very strong competitor in the Late Model Stock ranks,” said team owner Rick Ware. “Any time I saw him race at Hickory, he won. That got our attention, and now we’re making a commitment to him. Bringing him into our program gives us the opportunity to provide additional resources, experience and support to help accelerate his development. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
Bumgarner has been a fixture at Hickory, the .363-mile oval known as the “Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.”
The Taylorsville, North Carolina, native is the two-time and reigning track champion in the Late Model Stock division. He won 10 races in 2024 and more than doubled that total in 2025, scoring 22 victories, a tally that included wins in the Bobby Isaac Memorial and Fall Brawl.
“What we’ve been able to build over the last few years has meant a lot to me and my family. Everything we’ve accomplished together has prepared me for this next step. Transitioning to Rick Ware Racing is a tremendous opportunity and one that I’m incredibly grateful for,” Bumgarner said.
“Hickory has been a huge part of my growth as a driver and it’s a track that feels like home. I’ve learned so much about racecraft, consistency and what it takes to win week in and week out. To be able to take what we’ve built at Hickory and continue it at RWR gives us a really strong foundation to go out and compete for wins no matter where we’re racing.”
Bumgarner hasn’t let up in 2026. He won Hickory’s season-opener March 7 and followed it with a second-straight win April 4. In between those triumphs, Bumgarner became a finalist for the annual Kulwicki Driver Development Program, a heralded initiative that helps promising short-track racers advance their careers through financial support, mentorship, media training and professional development, all while honoring the legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup Series champion Alan Kulwicki.
“The way this season has started has definitely given us a lot of confidence,” Bumgarner said. “Opening the year with two wins at Hickory and then being recognized as a Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist is a huge honor. Now the focus is on carrying that momentum into this new opportunity with RWR.”
As a Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist, Bumgarner has an immediate connection to RWR beyond his upcoming driving duties. RWR president Robby Benton was the 1997 recipient of the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Scholarship, one of the highest honors within UNC Charlotte’s Motorsports Engineering program.
“With all that RWR does in NASCAR, NHRA, motorcycle racing and Late Model racing, they have a lot of depth,” Bumgarner said. “It’s a team built by racers and run by racers. That’s something I can lean into, and as competitive as Late Model racing is, especially on the CARS Tour, you want every advantage you can get.”
Bumgarner begins his RWR tenure in familiar surroundings when he competes at Hickory in Saturday night’s 75-lap feature. He will make his first CARS Tour start for RWR on April 25 at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, North Carolina. The last time Bumgarner raced at Caraway, he celebrated in victory lane. In October, he beat Mason Walters by a half-car length in the season-ending Caraway Crown 125.
“Caraway is a great place to make my first CARS Tour start with RWR,” Bumgarner said. “Winning the last time I was there gives us a strong platform to build from. Ideally, we unload with speed, qualify up front, race smart and are there at the end when it matters most.”
RWR will continue to field a Pro Late Model on the CARS Tour, with Carson Ware running the full schedule. RWR won the 2025 CARS Tour Pro Late Model owners’ championship.
