Cody Ware
Cody Shane Ware (born November 7, 1995) is an American auto racing and motorcycle racing driver. A third-generation driver, he is the son of NASCAR driver and team owner Rick Ware.[1] He competes for his family team, Rick Ware Racing, full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 51 Chevrolet.
Cody Ware | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Ware at Dover International Speedway in 2018 | |||||||
Born | Cody Shane Ware November 7, 1995 Greensboro, North Carolina | ||||||
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
23 races run over 4 years | |||||||
Car no., team | No. 51 (Rick Ware Racing) | ||||||
2020 position | 45th | ||||||
Best finish | 42nd (2018) | ||||||
First race | 2017 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (Atlanta) | ||||||
Last race | 2020 YellaWood 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
| |||||||
NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
21 races run over 6 years | |||||||
Car no., team | No. 17 (Rick Ware Racing) | ||||||
2020 position | 58th | ||||||
Best finish | 43rd (2014) | ||||||
First race | 2014 Nationwide Children's Hospital 200 (Mid-Ohio) | ||||||
Last race | 2020 Drive for the Cure 250 (Charlotte Roval) | ||||||
| |||||||
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career | |||||||
7 races run over 4 years | |||||||
2018 position | 114th | ||||||
Best finish | 60th (2015) | ||||||
First race | 2014 Fred's 250 (Talladega) | ||||||
Last race | 2017 Bar Harbor 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| |||||||
NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series career | |||||||
1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
2014 position | 42nd | ||||||
Best finish | 42nd (2014) | ||||||
First race | 2014 Puebla 240 (Puebla) | ||||||
| |||||||
Asian Le Mans Series career | |||||||
Debut season | 2019–20 | ||||||
Current team | Rick Ware Racing | ||||||
Car number | 52 | ||||||
Starts | 4 | ||||||
Championships | 1 (LMP2 Am) | ||||||
Wins | 2 | ||||||
Podiums | 4 | ||||||
Poles | 0 | ||||||
Best finish | 1st in 2019–20 | ||||||
Previous series | |||||||
2021 2020 2014 2013–2014 | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT4 America Series Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Whelen Southern Modified Tour | ||||||
Championship titles | |||||||
2019–20 | Asian Le Mans Series (LMP2 Am) | ||||||
Awards | |||||||
2014 | Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Rookie of the Year | ||||||
Last updated on: November 9, 2020. |
He won the Asian Le Mans Series championship in 2019–20 with RWR.
Racing career
Sports car racing
In 2014, Ware competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series, winning Rookie of the Year honors.[2]
In 2019, Rick Ware Racing formed an Asian Le Mans Series program with Ware and Mark Kvamme as drivers of the Ligier JS P2.[3] 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 14th overall.[4][5] On November 23, Ware announced he would compete in the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans for EuroInternational.[4] In January 2020's Asian Le Mans race at The Bend Motorsport Park, Ware and co-driver Gustas Grinbergas finished fifth overall and recorded the LMP2 Am Trophy class win.[6][7]
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.[8]
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 and Salih Yoluç.[9]
Xfinity Series
In August 2014, he made his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,[1] starting 26th and finishing 15th for RWR.[10] 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.[11][12] 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.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15] 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.[16]
Ware returned to the Truck Series in 2017, driving the No. 12 for RWR on a part-time basis.[17] He attempted but failed to qualify for the 2018 season opener at Daytona with Mike Harmon Racing.[12]
Cup Series

In June 2016, Ware attempted to make his Sprint Cup Series debut in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, driving the No. 55 for Premium Motorsports, but he failed to qualify.[18]
He joined RWR's Cup Series program, driving the No. 51 part-time in 2017.[19] 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.[20] Ware started and finished 39th, retiring from the race on lap 74 with steering problems.[21] 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.[22][23] During the Dover race, Ware withdrew from the event after 283 of 406 laps after suffering from back pain. A week later at Pocono, he left the race after completing 35 laps, again for back problems.[24] 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, 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.[25] 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.[26] 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.'"[27]
In 2018, Ware transitioned to motorcycle racing, but returned to the Cup Series for RWR at Dover.[12] 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; in the race, he and RWR teammate B. J. McLeod crashed while several cars were entering pit road, causing him to finish 39th.[28] At Sonoma, he was forced to exit the race on lap 64 when broken air conditioning caused him to suffer carbon monoxide poisoning.[29] 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.[13]
His lone 2020 Cup start was the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. 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.[30]
On January 18, 2021, RWR announced Ware would run the full 2021 Cup season in the team's No. 51 car.[31]
Personal life
In February 2018, Ware tweeted that he struggles with depression and anxiety.[32] Three months later, he revealed on Facebook that he has Asperger syndrome.[33]
Ware's younger brother Carson races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series.[34]
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
Daytona 500
Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 37 | 39 |
2021 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
Xfinity Series
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 | NCWTC | 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 27 |
MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 105th | 01 | [47] | |
2015 | MAKE Motorsports | 50 | Chevy | DAY DNQ |
ATL 30 |
MAR 27 |
KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | GTW | IOW | KEN | ELD | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 60th | 31 | [48] |
2016 | SS-Green Light Racing | 07 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR | KAN | DOV | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW | KEN | ELD | POC | BRI | MCH | MSP 17 |
CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL 21 |
MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 96th | 01 | [49] |
2017 | Beaver Motorsports | 50 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR | KAN 22 |
DOV 18 |
TEX | GTW | IOW | KEN | ELD | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 90th | 01 | [50] | |
Rick Ware Racing | 12 | Chevy | CLT DNQ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018 | Mike Harmon Racing | 74 | Chevy | DAY DNQ |
ATL | LVS | MAR | DOV | KAN | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW | CHI | KEN | ELD | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 114th | 01 | [51] |
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 | NWSMTC | Pts | Ref |
2013 | Mike Speeney | 80 | Chevy | CRW | SNM | SBO | CRW | CRW | BGS 13 |
BRI | LGY | CRW | CRW | SNM | CLT 20 |
29th | 55 | [52] | ||
2014 | 31 | CRW 13 |
SNM | SBO | LGY | CRW | BGS | BRI | LGY | CRW | SBO | SNM | CRW | CRW | CLT | 28th | 31 | [53] |
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 | NTSC | Pts | Ref |
2014 | Miriam Ibarra | 71 | Toyota | PHO | MXC | TUX | MTY | SLP | QRO | MXC | AGS | QRO | PUE | CHI | SLP | AGS | TUX | PUE 35 |
42nd | 9 | [54] |
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
2 Ware began the 2018 season racing for Truck Series points but switched to Cup Series points before the race at Sonoma.
3 Ware began the 2019 season racing for Cup Series points but switched to Xfinity Series points before the race at Talladega.
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 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | RWR Eurasia | LMP2 | Ligier JS P217 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | DAY 4† |
SEB |
DET |
WGL |
ELK |
LGA |
PET |
* | * |
24 Hours of Daytona results
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
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 2 |
BEN 1 |
SEP 1 |
CHA 2 |
1st | 86 |
References
- Cody Ware To Make NNS Debut. August 13, 2014. National Speed Sport News. Accessed 2014-08-16.
- "NCWTS: MAKE Motorsports Expands to Two-Truck Operation for 2015; Cody Ware to Run Full-Time". Race Chaser Online. February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- "Asian Le Mans Series – Rick Ware Racing Gets to Know the Ligier JSP2 at Le Mans Aerodrome". LeMans.org. September 13, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- "4H Shanghai: Saturday Paddock Notes". DailySportsCar.com. November 23, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- Christie, Toby (November 24, 2019). "Rick Ware Racing Finishes Second in Class in Asian Le Mans Series Race". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- Perrins, Slade (January 12, 2020). "G-Drive Takes Dramatic 4H The Bend Win". Sportscar365. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- "Grinbergas Becomes Youngest Ever ACO Rules Race Winner". DailySportsCar.com. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- "NOLASPORT On Top of Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Field For Race 1 At Sonoma". GT4 America Series. August 7, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Ryan, Nate (December 31, 2020). "Austin Dillon will race the Rolex 24 at Daytona, joining RWR Eurasia in LMP2". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- "2014 Nationwide Children's Hospital 200". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- "Cody Ware – NASCAR Xfinity Series Results (races)". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- Nguyen, Justin (May 3, 2018). "Cody Ware making Cup season debut at Dover". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- Pockrass, Bob [@bobpockrass] (September 29, 2019). "JJ Yeley will drive the No. 51 Cup car today. Cody Ware (who was replaced during Xfinity race by Stefan Parsons) still feeling impact of heat/lack of coolbox yesterday" (Tweet). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- Aragon, Dominic (October 10, 2020). "Cody Ware, Jade Buford net first Xfinity Top-10 finishes". The Racing Experts. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- Richardson, Ian (March 28, 2015). "NASCAR truck team showing progress in Shelby". The Shelby Star. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
The team is running two trucks full-time this season. 19-year-old truck rookie Cody Ware is MAKE’s main driver, running in the No. 50 truck.
- "TRAVIS KVAPIL TO DRIVE THE NO. 50 FOR MAKE". MAKE Motorsports. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- Albino, Dustin (December 29, 2016). "Rick Ware Racing Move to Truck Series, Shut Down XFINITY Program". Frontstretch. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- Wilson, Steven B. (June 17, 2016). "Third Generation Racer Cody Ware To Attempt Sprint Cup Debut". Speedway Digest. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- "RICK WARE RACING TO FIELD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES TEAM". NASCAR. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- Jayski's Silly Season Site (March 2, 2017). "Cody Ware set for Cup Series debut at Atlanta". ESPN. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- "2017 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- Anders, Jordan (June 4, 2017). "ECU, race team have unique partnership". The Daily Reflector. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- "Clemson logo will hit the NASCAR track in Pocono, Darlington". The Greenville News. June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- Jayski's Silly Season Site (June 15, 2017). "Ware suffering from back issues". ESPN. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- Martinelli, Michelle (August 31, 2017). "One NASCAR team changed its paint scheme to 'Pray for Texas'". USA Today. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- Marcano, Ray (September 6, 2017). "Cody Ware gets way out of line with a shameful slam against a fellow driver". AltDriver. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- Long, Dustin (February 15, 2019). "Friday 5: Racer shares his struggles with depression, anxiety". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- McFadin (February 20, 2019). "Cody Ware explains his side of bizarre pit-road crash in Daytona 500". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- "Ware suffers carbon monoxide poisoning at Sonoma". Jayski's Silly Season Site. June 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- Torres, Luis (October 4, 2020). "TORRES: Instant Reaction on the 2020 Yellawood 500 at Talladega". Motorsports Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- Long, Dustin (January 18, 2021). "Cody Ware to run full-time in Cup for Rick Ware Racing". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- Ware, Cody [@CodyShaneWare] (February 1, 2018). "I suffer from Depression and Anxiety, I've been taking 10mg of Lexapro for almost a year now. It's been a slow process but I'm fighting everyday to get myself under control so that I don't do damage to friends and family I love so much #BellLetsTalk" (Tweet). Retrieved May 13, 2018 – via Twitter.
- Ware, Cody (May 12, 2018). "I have something I have been wanting to get off my..." Facebook. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- Rutherford, Kevin (October 24, 2019). "NASCAR 101: Related Drivers in NASCAR". Frontstretch. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- "Cody Ware – 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2013 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2014 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- "Cody Ware – 2014 NASCAR Toyota Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2020.