Ware, Allmendinger, Marks Added to West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Rick Ware, AJ Allmendinger, and Justin Marks have all been added to the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Rick Ware, owner of Rick Ware Racing, has been named part of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2025, along with AJ Allmendinger, Justin Marks, and Boris Said. / Photo Credit: Rick Ware Racing

Rick Ware, AJ Allmendinger, and Justin Marks are among the seven individuals who have been appointed to the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, the institution announced on Monday.

Ware is the owner of Rick Ware Racing, a multi-faceted motorsports giant that has competed across several different forms of motorsports, including the NASCAR Cup Series, NTT IndyCar Series, NHRA, and many, many more.

“It’s truly an honor to be part of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2025,” Ware said. “I’m a proud Californian and growing up on the West Coast put me right in the heart of racing and hot-rod culture. For me, there was no better place to be, and to join such an esteemed group of racers who came from the same region of the country as me is an incredible, full-circle moment.”

The Los Angeles, California-native has been a mainstay in the motorsports industry for the last five decades, beginning at the age of six years old, when the third-generation racer began his driving career.

Ware competed in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions, which eventually led him to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American event at Riverside International Raceway.

After injuries forced him out of the driver’s seat, Ware formed Rick Ware Racing with his wife Lisa at his side. In the three decades since, Ware has built his empire into an entity that fields two entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, while campaigning successful teams in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship.

The team comes off one of its best seasons in 2024, with Clay Millican winning the prestigious US Nationals and rider Kody Klopp winning the AMA American Flat Track 450cc championship.

“We do it because we love it,” Ware said. “Racing is hard, really hard. So, you’ve got to have a passion for it. The hard times make you appreciate success so much more, and our success comes from our people. We have excellent people at RWR and I’m proud of their skills and their spirit. This honor is directly attributable to them, and I’m very thankful.”

AJ Allmendinger, who will compete for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, will join Ware in the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame's Class of 2025.

The Los Gatos, California-native has experienced a career resurgence since joining Kaulig Racing in 2019, collecting 16 victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and two in the NASCAR Cup Series.

This past season, Allmendinger was part of the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but came up short of his first title, losing out to both Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer. Allmendinger has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series and IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Series.

Justin Marks, owner of NASCAR Cup Series team Trackhouse Racing, will also be part of the seven-person 'Class of 2025' for the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.

The Rocklin, California-native began his career as a driver, competing in all of NASCAR's top-three series, beginning in 2007. As a driver, his crowning NASCAR achievement was scoring a victory in a rain-soaked NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Marks founded Trackhouse Racing in 2020, and since adding Grammy-award winning artist Pitbull as a co-owner of the organization, has grown it into a formidable team.

In 2025, Trackhouse will field three full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series for drivers Ross Chastain, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Daniel Suarez.

Van Gisbergen is a success story for Trackhouse Racing, first as part of the team's PROJECT91 entry, which helps to bring international flair to the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers from different prominent racing series.

After winning on debut at the Chicago Street Course in 2023, Van Gisbergen decided to come to the United States full-time, and was developed by Marks and Trackhouse. Connor Zilisch, an 18-year-old phenom, is on a similar path with the help of Trackhouse.

Jeff Jefferson, Chuck Gurney, Davey Hamilton, and Boris Said have also been inducted into the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Induction is set for March 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada -- in conjunction with the NASCAR Race Weekend at Las Vegas.