RWR’s Justin Haley claims he rejected ‘one or two’ opportunities to race in the 2024 Indy 500

Justin Haley’s team, RWR, has an IndyCar operation.

RWR’s Justin Haley claims he rejected ‘one or two’ opportunities to race in the 2024 Indy 500

Justin Haley (credits: @KauligRacing/Twitter)

The 2024 season will mark the first time since Kurt Busch in 2016, a full-time NASCAR driver racing in the Indy 500. Hendrick Motorsports’ 2021 Cup Championship-winning driver Kyle Larson will make his debut. He will drive the cars fielded by Arrow McLaren Racing, with a special partnership with HMS.

The thing that makes the Indy 500 appearance by full-time NASCAR drivers is the double duty. They must first qualify and race at Brickyard and then catch the flight to Charlotte to race in the longest race in the NASCAR schedule, the Coco Cola 600. This demanding attempt is termed ‘double duty’, and only an elite few ever got to try it.

YouTube video

But one more NASCAR driver could have raced 1100 miles on the same date. Rick Ware Racing’s young driver, Justin Haley, claimed that he rejected one or two offers to race in the iconic event because he felt he wasn’t ready for it yet. Even his team, RWR, can field cars at the Indy 500, as they have done before.

FS Video
I ’ve actually turned down one or two Indy 500 rides, which is surprising. I don’t feel like I’m quite ready for it yet, but I had an opportunity to run it a few years back and then I think one other time, so I don’t know – not quite yet. I’m not quite to the point in my career where I feel like that’s something I want to tackle.
Haley said via Motorsport.com.

Justin Haley is open to attempting the Indy 500 in the later part of his career

Haley is one of the most promising talents in the NASCAR garage, with a solid dirt and late-model racing background. The fact that he is getting multiple Indy 500 offers despite not yet having a shot at NASCAR with a big team proves how much he is rated among the racing community.

Justin Haley
Justin Haley (Credits: NBC News)

Haley refusing the Indy 500 seat, which some might term as an opportunity of a lifetime, would be a major surprise for many. But he has a genuine reason for it. He wants to focus on his NASCAR career and prove himself and is open to racing at the Indy 500 once he is old and mature.

Obviously, it would be fun being from Indiana and growing up and watching the Indy 500, but I don’t know. I just feel like I want to focus on what I’m doing right now. … I feel like the guys later in their career want to go do fun stuff like that, but for me it’s just kind of all focus on the Cup Series.

In case you missed it: