Cody Ware

Cody Shane Ware (born November 7, 1995) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Rick Ware Racing and part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 30 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Barrett–Cope Racing. A third-generation driver with experience in stock car, sports car, and open-wheel racing, he is the son of NASCAR team owner Rick Ware.

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 program with Ware and Mark Kvamme as drivers of the Ligier JS P2. In their first race at Shanghai International Circuit, despite missing qualifying and only having two laps of practice, Ware and Kvamme finished second in the LMPS Am class and fourteenth overall. On November 23, Ware announced he would compete in the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans for EuroInternational.

In August 2020, Ware made his GT4 America Series SprintX debut at Sonoma Raceway, where he finished fifth overall and third in the Silver class for Dexter Racing.

When RWR partnered with Eurasia Motorsport to form RWR Eurasia for the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona, Ware was among the team's LMP2 drivers alongside Austin Dillon, Salih Yoluç, and Sven Müller.

In January 2024, Ware competed in the 2024 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge in the Ligier JS P320 LMP3 for Rick Ware Racing with Ave Motorsports, where he finished third in the first race and eighth in the second race.

NASCAR O'Reilly Series In August 2014, Ware made his debut in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Over the next five seasons, among the teams he raced for were MBM Motorsports, B. J. McLeod Motorsports, Team Kapusta Racing, and Mike Harmon Racing. During the 2019 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway 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.

Ware drove in seven Xfinity Series races in 2021 for SS-Green Light Racing with Rick Ware Racing, scoring a best finish of fifteenth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The entry list for the 2026 Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echopark Speedway revealed that Ware would be driving the No. 30 for Barrett-Cope Racing, making his first O'Reilly Series start since 2021.

Camping World Truck Series In 2015, Ware joined MAKE Motorsports full-time for the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 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 degree. Ware was replaced by Travis Kvapil 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.

Ware 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 at Atlanta, driving the No. 51 with sponsorship from Spoonful of Music and Bubba Burger. Ware started and finished 39th, retiring from the race on lap 74 with steering problems. At Dover and Pocono, Ware's No. 51 acquired sponsorship from East Carolina University and Clemson University, respectively, with the latter also featuring logos celebrating the football team's 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship 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.

Ware returned to the No. 51 for Darlington's Bojangles' Southern 500, where he drove a car painted like Tom Cruise character Cole Trickle's Mello Yello vehicle of the same number in the film Days of Thunder; Ware's No. 51 featured logos saying "Pray for Texas", with RWR producing merchandise of the car and donating all proceeds to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. On lap 157, Ware was involved in a wreck with Matt DiBenedetto and A. J. Allmendinger; after the race, Ware and DiBenedetto argued on Twitter over responsibility for the wreck. When DiBenedetto faulted Ware for the incident, the latter replied by falsely accusing him of infidelity, 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 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, but returned to the Cup Series for RWR at Dover. At Sonoma, he was forced to exit the race on lap 64 when broken air conditioning caused him to suffer carbon monoxide poisoning. In September, he intended to race at the Charlotte Roval, but was replaced by J. J. Yeley as he continued to feel unwell from his damaged coolbox in the previous day's Xfinity race.

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: 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 after he was sidelined with carbon monoxide poisoning following the 2021 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington. At Bristol Motor Speedway Ware got into Chase Elliott, the two would become heated after the race.

Ware returned to the No. 51 for the 2022 season, starting with a seventeenth-place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500. 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 twenty 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, 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 sixth place for his first career Cup Series top-ten finish. At Texas, Ware was involved in a hard crash on lap 168 after hitting the turn 4 wall and hitting the pit wall afterward 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 race due to his injury, with Yeley substituting him in the No. 51.

Ware returned to the No. 51 for 2023, starting with a fourteenth place finish in the 2023 Daytona 500. 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. RWR would replace Ware with various drivers on race-by-race basis, starting from Zane Smith for the next race at Martinsville.

On December 12, 2023, Ware was reinstated by NASCAR after the charges against him were dropped.

On January 21, 2024, during the broadcast of the 2024 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 2, it was announced that Ware would run ten races in the Cup Series if sponsorship allowed. On April 15, it was revealed that Ware would race the No. 15 RWR entry at Talladega, which would be his first NASCAR race since his suspension. In the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400, Ware would post a new career-best fourth place finish, his second top-ten and first top-five in the Cup Series. Ware standing alongside his car at the 2025 South Point 400. On January 15, 2025, it was announced that Ware would return to full-time competition in the Cup Series for the 2025 season, driving the No. 51 for RWR. On May 12, 2025, it was announced that he would drive the No. 15 in the All-star Open due to Harrison Burton driving his usual No. 51 in the main event. In the 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Ware led a career high 23 laps but finished in 20th. For the first time in his career, Ware raced all 36 of 36 races of the 2025 season.

IndyCar Series Entering the 2021 racing season, Ware expressed interest in running a part-time IndyCar Series schedule for Dale Coyne Racing with RWR, including the possibility of performing Double Duty of running the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. In April, he participated in an IndyCar test for DCR at Texas Motor Speedway. He was entered for the 500 in the No. 52, and Garrett Smithley was placed in his No. 51 Cup car for that day's Coca-Cola 600; 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.

On June 15, it was announced that Ware would make his IndyCar Series debut at the REV Group Grand Prix at Road America, driving the No. 52 entry. He would go on to finish nineteenth and on the lead lap.

Personal life In February 2018, Ware tweeted that he struggles with depression and anxiety. Three months later, he revealed on Facebook that he has Asperger syndrome.

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.

On April 10, 2023, Ware was arrested for a felony assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor on a female. He originally missed the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol due to what was initially announced as personal reasons and was replaced by Matt Crafton, who finished 34th with engine problems. NASCAR indefinitely suspended him on April 10. The charges were dropped by prosecutors in December, upon which Ware was reinstated to NASCAR.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2016 Premium Motorsports 55 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI RCH TAL KAN DOV CLT POC MCH SON DAY KEN NHA IND POC GLN BRI MCH DAR RCH CHI NHA DOV CLT KAN TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 62nd 0 2017 Rick Ware Racing 51 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI RCH TAL KAN CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY KEN NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH CHI NHA DOV CLT TAL KAN MAR TEX PHO HOM 43rd 6 2018 DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV KAN CLT POC MCH TAL KAN MAR TEX PHO HOM 42nd 11 52 SON CHI DAY KEN NHA POC GLN MCH BRI DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV 2019 DAY SON CHI DAY KEN NHA POC 56th 0 51 Ford ATL TAL DOV CLT POC MCH MCH BRI DAR IND LVS RCH Chevy LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI RCH KAN GLN ROV DOV TAL KAN MAR TEX PHO HOM 2020 27 DAY LVS CAL PHO DAR DAR CLT CLT BRI ATL MAR HOM TAL POC POC IND KEN TEX KAN NHA MCH MCH DRC DOV DOV DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV KAN TEX MAR PHO 45th 0 2021 51 DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL BRD MAR RCH TAL KAN DAR DOV COA SON NSH POC POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 53rd 0 53 CLT 2022 51 Ford DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR BRD TAL DOV DAR KAN CLT GTW SON NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH RCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 32nd 305 2023 DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH BRD MAR TAL DOV KAN DAR CLT GTW SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC RCH MCH IRC GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 34th 65 2024 15 DAY ATL LVS PHO BRI COA RCH MAR TEX TAL DOV KAN DAR CLT GTW SON IOW NHA NSH CSC POC IND RCH MCH DAY DAR ATL GLN BRI KAN TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 36th 146 2025 51 DAY ATL COA PHO LVS HOM MAR DAR BRI TAL TEX KAN CLT NSH MCH MXC POC ATL CSC SON DOV IND IOW GLN RCH DAY DAR GTW BRI NHA KAN ROV LVS TAL MAR PHO 36th 233 2026 Chevy DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN CLT NSH MCH POC COR SON CHI ATL NWS IND IOW RCH NHA DAY DAR GTW BRI KAN LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -*

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 2019 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 37 39 2021 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 35 21 2022 Ford 32 17 2023 35 14 2025 Rick Ware Racing Ford 28 25 2026 Chevrolet 33 17

O'Reilly Auto Parts Series NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 2014 Rick Ware Racing 23 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX DAR RCH TAL IOW CLT DOV MCH ROA KEN DAY NHA CHI IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO HOM 43rd 71 2015 MBM Motorsports 13 Dodge DAY ATL 113th 0 Rick Ware Racing 15 Chevy LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL IOW CLT DOV MCH CHI DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 2016 DAY ATL 45th 43 25 LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV B. J. McLeod Motorsports 15 Ford CLT POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW Team Kapusta Racing 25 Chevy GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 2017 Mike Harmon Racing 74 Dodge DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL CLT DOV POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 105th 0 2018 DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN 106th 0 B. J. McLeod Motorsports 8 Chevy MOH BRI ROA 78 DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 2019 99 Toyota DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW 51st 45 Chevy GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 2020 Rick Ware Racing 17 Ford DAY LVS CAL PHO DAR CLT BRI ATL HOM HOM TAL POC IRC KEN KEN TEX KAN ROA DRC DOV DOV DAY DAR RCH RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV KAN TEX MAR PHO 58th 30 2021 SS-Green Light Racingwith Rick Ware Racing Chevy DAY ATL MAR TAL DAR DOV COA 42nd 92 Ford DRC HOM LVS PHO MOH TEX NSH POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO Toyota CLT 2026 Barrett–Cope Racing 30 Chevy DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR CAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN DOV CLT NSH POC COR SON CHI ATL IND IOW DAY DAR GTW BRI LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -*

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts Ref 2014 Rick Ware Racing 5 Chevy DAY MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW KEN IOW ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 105th 0 2015 MAKE Motorsports 50 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 60th 31 2016 SS-Green Light Racing 07 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 96th 0 2017 Beaver Motorsports 50 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 90th 0 Rick Ware Racing 12 Chevy CLT 2018 Mike Harmon Racing 74 Chevy DAY ATL LVS MAR DOV KAN CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 114th 0

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.

Toyota Series NASCAR Toyota Series results Year Car owner No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pts Ref 2014 Miriam Ibarra 71 Toyota PHO MXC TUX MTY SLP QRO MXC AGS QRO PUE CHI SLP AGS TUX PUE 42nd 9

Whelen Southern Modified Tour NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour results Year Car owner No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts Ref 2013 Mike Speeney 80 Chevy CRW SNM SBO CRW CRW BGS BRI LGY CRW CRW SNM CLT 29th 55 2014 31 CRW SNM SBO LGY CRW BGS BRI LGY CRW SBO SNM CRW CRW CLT 28th 31

CARS Pro Late Model Tour (key) CARS Pro Late Model Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pts Ref 2025 Rick Ware Racing 51 Ford AAS CDL OCS ACE NWS CRW HCY HCY AND FLC SBO TCM NWS 28th 69

ASA STARS National Tour (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.) ASA STARS National Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts Ref 2025 Rick Ware Racing 51W Ford NSM FIF DOM HCY NPS MAD SLG AND OWO TOL WIN NSV 74th 25

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank Points 2021 RWR Eurasia LMP2 Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY SEB WGL WGL ELK LGA PET NC† 0† Points only counted towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, and not the overall LMP2 Championship.

24 Hours of Daytona results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 2021 RWR Eurasia Austin Dillon Sven Müller Salih Yoluç Ligier JS P217 LMP2 778 10th 4th

Asian Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 Pos Points 2019–20 Rick Ware Racing LMP2 Am Ligier JS P2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SHA BEN SEP CHA 1st 86

American open-wheel racing results (key)

IndyCar Series (key) Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref 2021 Dale Coyne Racing withRick Ware Racing 52 Dallara DW12 Honda ALA STP TXS TXS IMS INDY DET DET ROA MOH NSH IMS GTW POR LAG LBH 34th 26