Cody Shane Ware (born November 7, 1995) is an American professional
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
driver. A third-generation driver with experience in
stock car
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
,
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
, and
open-wheel racing
Formula racing (known as open-wheel racing in North America) is any of several forms of open-wheeled single-seater motorsport. The origin of the term lies in the nomenclature that was adopted by the FIA for all of its post-World War II single-s ...
, he is the son of
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
team owner
Rick Ware
Richard S. Ware (born August 6, 1963) is a professional racecar driver and owner of Rick Ware Racing.
When he was nine years old, he began racing motocross and moved up to the BMX class when he was 12.
In 1983, he was named Rookie of the Year i ...
.
[Cody Ware To Make NNS Debut](_blank)
. August 13, 2014. ''National Speed Sport News
''Speed Sport'', formerly the ''National Speed Sport News ''(NSSN) is an American magazine and Web site covering national, local, and regional auto racing topics. Yahoo! News called it "one of the most famous motorsports publications in the country ...
''. Accessed 2014-08-16. He last competed full-time in the
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
, driving the No. 51
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
for family team
Rick Ware Racing
Rick Ware Racing (RWR) is an American motorsports team which currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the NTT IndyCar Series.
History
The organizational roots of RWR date back to Ware & Sons Racing with ...
.
Ware won the
Asian Le Mans Series
The Asian Le Mans Series is an Asian sports car racing endurance series created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and based in Asia. It is the successor to the defunct Japan Le Mans Challenge which folded in 2007 after its second season. ...
LMP2 Pro-Am championship in
2019–20 with Rick Ware Racing.
Racing career
Sports car racing
In 2014, Ware competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series, winning Rookie of the Year honors.
In 2019, Rick Ware Racing formed an
Asian Le Mans Series
The Asian Le Mans Series is an Asian sports car racing endurance series created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and based in Asia. It is the successor to the defunct Japan Le Mans Challenge which folded in 2007 after its second season. ...
program with Ware and
Mark Kvamme
Mark Kvamme (born February 20, 1961) is a venture capitalist at the firm Drive Capital in Columbus, Ohio and a sports car racing driver.
Business career
Kvamme founded Drive Capital with Chris Olsen in 2013. He currently sits on the board of Aver ...
as drivers of the
Ligier JS P2
The Ligier JS P2 is a racing car designed and built by French manufacturer Onroak Automotive and named in partnership with French former racing driver Guy Ligier. Designed for the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) regulations, it is intended as a second ...
. In their first race at
Shanghai International Circuit
The Shanghai International Circuit () is a motorsport race track, situated in the Jiading District, Shanghai. The circuit is best known as the venue for the annual Chinese Grand Prix which was hosted from 2004 to 2019 and was scheduled again fro ...
, despite missing qualifying and only having two laps of practice, Ware and Kvamme finished second in the LMPS Am class and 14th overall.
On November 23, Ware announced he would compete in the
2020 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: ''88e 24 Heures du Mans'') was a 24 hour automobile endurance race for Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) cars held from 19 to 20 September 2020 at the Circuit de la ...
for
EuroInternational
EuroInternational is a racing organization (which includes Italian division EuroInternational Srl and American division EuroInternational Inc.) owned by Antonio Ferrari, grandnephew of Enzo Ferrari, formerly known as Euromotorsport.
History
Origi ...
.
In January 2020's Asian Le Mans race at
The Bend Motorsport Park
The Bend Motorsport Park is a bitumen motor racing circuit at Tailem Bend, South Australia, Tailem Bend, South Australia, Australia, about south-east of the state capital, Adelaide.
The complex has a bitumen circuit, drag racing strip, and d ...
, Ware and co-driver
Gustas Grinbergas finished fifth overall and recorded the LMP2 Am Trophy class win.
In August 2020, Ware made his
GT4 America Series SprintX debut at
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Raceway (originally known as Sears Point Raceway from 1967 to 1980 and 1982 to 2002, Golden State International Raceway in 1981 and Infineon Raceway from 2002 to 2012) is a road course and dragstrip located at Sears Point in the southern S ...
, where he finished fifth overall and third in the Silver class for Dexter Racing.
When RWR partnered with
Eurasia Motorsport
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago an ...
to form RWR Eurasia for the
2021 24 Hours of Daytona, Ware was among the team's LMP2 drivers alongside
Austin Dillon
Austin Reed Dillon (born April 27, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver and reality TV show actor. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing. ...
,
Salih Yoluç
Salih Yoluç (born 22 August 1985, Istanbul) is a Turkish racing driver.
Biography
Salih started his racing career in 2015 with Optimum Motorsport and he won Dubai 24 hours on his first-ever year of competing.
At the end of 2015, he mad ...
, and
Sven Müller.
NASCAR
Xfinity Series
In August 2014, he made his debut in the NASCAR
Nationwide Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
at the
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central regio ...
,
starting 26th and finishing 15th for RWR. Over the next five seasons, among the teams he raced for were
MBM Motorsports
Motorsports Business Management LLC, operating as MBM Motorsports (and sometimes known as Carl Long Motorsports), is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. M ...
,
B. J. McLeod Motorsports,
Team Kapusta Racing, and
Mike Harmon Racing
Mike Harmon Racing with Gary Keller, formerly Elite 2 Racing, is an American professional stock car racing team that fields the No. 74 Chevrolet Camaro full-time for TBA in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team has also competed in the NASCAR Campin ...
.
During the 2019 race at the
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...
Roval, Ware was replaced by
Stefan Parsons after feeling unwell due to a damaged coolbox in his car.
Ware returned to RWR's reformed Xfinity Series team in 2020 at the Charlotte Roval, where he recorded his first series top-ten finish in seventh.
Truck Series
In 2015, Ware joined MAKE Motorsports full-time for the
2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was the 21st season of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the third highest stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in North America. It was contested over twenty-three races, beginning with ...
season, competing for
Rookie of the Year honors. However, on May 1, Ware announced that he would be leaving the team to attend college full-time, with aspirations for a
pre-medical
Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med course ...
degree. Ware was replaced by
Travis Kvapil
Travis Wade Kvapil ( ; born March 1, 1976) is an American professional stock car driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Silverado for Beaver Motorsports.
He was the 2003 NASCAR ...
in the No. 50.
Ware returned to the Truck Series in 2017, driving the No. 12 for RWR on a part-time basis. He attempted but failed to qualify for the 2018 season opener at Daytona with Mike Harmon Racing.
Cup Series
![Cody Ware Sonoma 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Cody_Ware_Sonoma_2018.jpg)
In June 2016, Ware attempted to make his
Sprint Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971 ...
debut in the
Toyota/Save Mart 350
The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is a stock car racing event in the NASCAR Cup Series that has been held annually at Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point in Sonoma, California since 1989. The race has been known as the Toyota/Save Mart 350 since 2007.
The ra ...
at
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Raceway (originally known as Sears Point Raceway from 1967 to 1980 and 1982 to 2002, Golden State International Raceway in 1981 and Infineon Raceway from 2002 to 2012) is a road course and dragstrip located at Sears Point in the southern S ...
, driving the No. 55 for
Premium Motorsports
Premium Motorsports (formerly Jay Robinson Racing) was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team last fielded the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 LE full-time for Brennan Poole, and the No. 27 Cam ...
, but he failed to qualify.
He joined RWR's Cup Series program, driving the No. 51 part-time in 2017. He made his Cup debut in the
Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
The Ambetter Health 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. William Byron is the defending race winner.
This race was originally Atlanta's second race of the season and was run as a late-se ...
at
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, driving the No. 51 with sponsorship from
Spoonful of Music and
Bubba Burger
In American usage, "Bubba" is a term of endearment mainly given to boys. Being formed from the word "brother", it often indicates that someone is a "little brother".
Etymology and history
The linguist Ian Hancock has described similarities betw ...
. Ware started and finished 39th, retiring from the race on lap 74 with steering problems. At
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
and
Pocono, Ware's No. 51 acquired sponsorship from
East Carolina University
East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina.
Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...
and
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
, respectively, with the latter also featuring logos celebrating the
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
's
2017 College Football Playoff National Championship
The 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship was a bowl game that was used to determine a national champion of college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the 2016 season. The game was played at Raymond Jame ...
win earlier in the year. During the Dover race, Ware withdrew from the event after 283 of 406 laps after developing back pain. A week later at Pocono, he left the race after completing 35 laps, again for back problems. He was scheduled to drive at Michigan but Ware decided to stay out of the car for the race and the team did not find a replacement driver in time.
He returned to the No. 51 for Darlington's
Bojangles' Southern 500
The Southern 500, officially known as the Cook Out Southern 500 for sponsorship reasons, is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, United States. The race distance is and consists of 367 laps. From ...
, where he drove a car painted like
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
character Cole Trickle's
Mello Yello
Mello Yello is a highly caffeinated, citrus-flavored soft drink produced, distributed and created by The Coca-Cola Company that was introduced on March 12, 1979, to compete with PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.
Mello Yello was withdrawn from Austra ...
vehicle of the same number in the film ''
Days of Thunder
''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, C ...
''; Ware's No. 51 featured logos saying "Pray for Texas", with RWR producing merchandise of the car and donating all proceeds to
Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey was a devastating Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is tied with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the costliest t ...
relief efforts. On lap 157, Ware was involved in a wreck with
Matt DiBenedetto
Matthew Guido DiBenedetto (born July 27, 1991) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley WAR.
Racing career Early care ...
and
A. J. Allmendinger
Anthony James "A. J." Allmendinger (born December 16, 1981) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing.
Allmendinger's professi ...
; after the race, Ware and DiBenedetto argued on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
over responsibility for the wreck. When DiBenedetto faulted Ware for the incident, the latter replied by falsely accusing him of
infidelity
Infidelity (synonyms include cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and riva ...
, causing a firestorm that led to Ware deleting his social media for the rest of the season and up through 2018. A few months later, in February 2018, Ware restarted his
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
profile and announced his Asperger's diagnosis in May. Ware later revealed in a January 2019 interview that the incident with DiBenedetto was one of his "biggest setbacks ever," but acknowledged "hitting rock bottom (after that) was the best thing that happened to me because that really gave me the wake-up call of 'hey, this is only going to get worse, and you're never going to come back from it unless you do something about it right now.'"
In 2018, Ware transitioned to
motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
, but returned to the Cup Series for RWR at
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
.
He also ran the
Sonoma race, where he would DNF and place last.
Ware increased his Cup schedule in 2019 to 13 races, which also included the
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
; in the race, he and RWR teammate
B. J. McLeod
Darwin Benjamin Jerreld "B. J." McLeod Jr. (born November 17, 1983) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner of B. J. McLeod Motorsports and Live Fast Motorsports. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, drivi ...
crashed while several cars were entering pit road, causing him to finish 39th. At
Sonoma, he was forced to exit the race on lap 64 when broken air conditioning caused him to suffer
carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as "flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large e ...
. In September, he intended to race at the
Charlotte Roval
Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...
, but was replaced by
J. J. Yeley
Christopher Beltram Hernandez "J. J." Yeley (born October 5, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the Nos. 13 and 66 cars for MBM Motorsports and part-time in ...
as he continued to feel unwell from his damaged coolbox in the previous day's Xfinity race.
His lone 2020 Cup start was the
YellaWood 500
The YellaWood 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, hosting an event in the NASCAR playoffs. The race is one of four NASCAR Cup Series races currently run with tapered spacers, the others ...
at
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...
. Towards the end of the race, due to a lot of front runners being involved in crashes, Ware was racing in the top ten until he crashed on the backstretch on the final lap, but was able to finish 19th for his first Cup Series top 20.
On January 18, 2021, RWR announced Ware would run the full 2021 Cup season in the team's No. 51 car. During the
April Martinsville race, Ware was involved in an incident with teammate
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
: on lap 37, contact from Ware's right front fender into Davison's left rear quarter panel sent the latter spinning into the outside wall. The race was postponed to the next day after weather, and radio communications between Ware and his crew chief revealed displeasure towards Davison, with Ware threatening to turn him if he encountered him again. After the team threatened to park Ware, the two raced for the rest of the event. Ware missed the
Richmond playoff race and was substituted by
Garrett Smithley
Garrett K. Smithley (born April 27, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro for B. J. McLeod Motorsports. He has also competed in the ARCA ...
after he was sidelined with carbon monoxide poisoning following the
2021 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington. At
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the m ...
Ware got into
Chase Elliott
William Clyde "Chase" Elliott II (born November 28, 1995) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. He won the 2014 NAS ...
, the two would become heated after the race.
![Cody Ware 51 Sonoma 2022](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Cody_Ware_51_Sonoma_2022.jpg)
Ware returned to the No. 51 for the
2022 season, starting with a 17th-place finish at the
2022 Daytona 500
The 2022 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series and the 64th running of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 20, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a asphalt superspeedwa ...
. At
Sonoma, the No. 51 failed pre-race inspection four times and was hit with an L1 penalty, resulting in a start at the back of the field and a pass-through penalty on the first lap. In addition, the team was deducted 20 owner and driver points. On August 23, crew chief Billy Plourde was suspended for four races after the No. 51 lost a ballast during practice at
Watkins Glen. The following week at Daytona for the
2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400
The 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on August 28, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 160 laps on the superspeedway, it was the 26th race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series s ...
, Ware avoided a massive wreck with over 20 laps to go and was in P4 before the rain delay. After the delay, Ware ran with the leaders and finished a career best 6th place for his first career Cup Series Top 10 finish. At
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, Ware was involved in a hard crash on lap 168 after hitting the turn 4 wall and hitting the pit wall afterwards, but was treated and released from the infield care center without serious injury. He sustained an impaction fracture on his ankle from the crash. Although Ware was cleared for (and competed in) the following
Talladega race, Ware skipped the
Charlotte Roval
Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...
race due to his injury, with Yeley substituting him in the No. 51.
Ware returned to the No. 51 for
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
, starting with a 14th-place finish in the
2023 Daytona 500
The 2023 Daytona 530 was a NASCAR Cup Series race and the 65th running of the event. It was held on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was the first race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series. Jimm ...
. After running the season's first seven races, he announced he would miss the
2023 Food City Dirt Race at Bristol due to a personal matter. A day after the race, on April 10, Ware was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR after being arrested and charged with a felony assault by strangulation as well as a misdemeanor assault on a woman in
Iredell County,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. He would be replaced by
Zane Smith for the next race at
Martinsville.
IndyCar Series
Entering the 2021 racing season, Ware expressed interest in running a part-time
IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...
schedule for
Dale Coyne Racing
Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) is an American professional open-wheel racing team that currently competes in the IndyCar Series. The team was founded in 1984 and is owned by former driver Dale Coyne. From 1995 to 2000, the team was known as Payton-Coyn ...
with RWR, including the possibility of performing
Double Duty
Double Duty also referred to as the Indy-Charlotte Double or Memorial Day Double, is an auto racing term centered around two events held on Memorial Day weekend in most years. The two events are the annual Indianapolis 500, which is the most imp ...
of running the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
and
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...
in the same day. In April, he participated in an IndyCar test for DCR at
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The reconfigured track measures with banked 20° in turns 1 and 2 and banked 24° ...
. He was entered for the 500 in the No. 52, and
Garrett Smithley
Garrett K. Smithley (born April 27, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro for B. J. McLeod Motorsports. He has also competed in the ARCA ...
was placed in his No. 51 Cup car for that day's
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...
; although Ware completed rookie orientation, a lack of sponsorship forced the entry to be withdrawn. Ware instead ran the 600 in the No. 53 that he took over from
J. J. Yeley
Christopher Beltram Hernandez "J. J." Yeley (born October 5, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the Nos. 13 and 66 cars for MBM Motorsports and part-time in ...
.
On June 15, it was announced that Ware would make his IndyCar Series debut at the
REV Group Grand Prix at
Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Champ ...
, driving the No. 52 entry. He would go on to finish 19th and on the lead lap.
Personal life
In February 2018, Ware
tweeted
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that he struggles with depression and anxiety. Three months later, he revealed on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
that he has
Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in Interpersonal relationship, social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and re ...
.
In May 2021, Ware revealed that during his teenage years, a group of friends led him to the woods only to douse gasoline on him and set him on fire, resulting in severe burns on the back of his legs.
Ware's younger brother
Carson
Carson may refer to:
People
*Carson (surname), people with the surname
*Carson (given name), people with the given name
Places
;In the United States
* Carson, California, a city
* Carson Township, Fayette County, Illinois
*Carson, Iowa, a city
* ...
raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series, and
ARCA Menards Series
The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national ...
. He was suspended by NASCAR in October 2021 after being arrested on assault and property damage charges, he was reinstated on June 8, 2022, but has not raced since.
In April 2023, Ware was arrested for a felony assault by strangulation and misdemeanor on a female, he originally missed the
Food City Dirt Race
The Food City Dirt Race is an annual 250-lap, NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This is one of two NASCAR races held at Bristol, the other being the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. It was the ...
at Bristol due to what was initially announced as personal reasons and was replaced by
Matt Crafton
Matthew Justin Crafton (born June 11, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is a three-time champion of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2013, 2014, 2019), in which he competes full-time, driving the No. 88 Ford F-150 ...
who finished 34th with engine problems. NASCAR indefinitely suspended him on April 10.
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Cup Series
=Daytona 500
=
Xfinity Series
Camping World Truck Series
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Toyota Series
Season still in progress
Ineligible for series points
Ware began the 2018 season racing for Truck Series points but switched to Cup Series points before the race at Sonoma.
Ware began the 2019 season racing for Cup Series points but switched to Xfinity Series points before the race at Talladega.
Ware began the 2021 season racing for Cup Series points but switched to Xfinity Series points before the race at the Daytona road course.
Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
† Points only counted towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, and not the overall LMP2 Championship.
24 Hours of Daytona results
Asian Le Mans Series results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
American open-wheel racing results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
)
IndyCar Series
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
)
* Season still in progress.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ware, Cody
Living people
1995 births
Sportspeople from Greensboro, North Carolina
Racing drivers from North Carolina
NASCAR drivers
People with Asperger syndrome
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
IndyCar Series drivers
Dale Coyne Racing drivers
Eurasia Motorsport drivers
NASCAR controversies
People charged with assault
Trans-Am Series drivers
Lamborghini Super Trofeo drivers