Cody Ware back in NASCAR, racing at Daytona, frustrated by penalty
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Rolex 24 qualifying now underway at Daytona
The GTD Pro and GTD classes kicked off qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Sunday afternoon.
DAYTONA BEACH — Cody Ware wanted to be happy that he was back in a race car following an eight-month suspension.
He’d finished third in Saturday’s 45-minute VP Challenge Series race at Daytona, led some of Sunday’s second race, and seemed destined for another podium finish before a 10-second penalty dumped him back to eighth following the checkers.
“Incident responsibility,” is how race control deemed a first-lap, first-turn bit of aggression that saw Ware blitz toward the front from his fifth-place starting spot. A pair of other cars got together while Ware’s LMP3 Ligier stormed past.
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“There was no contact,” Ware said, pointing to the front of his car in the post-race garage. “I’m a little frustrated at the moment. Was it an aggressive move? One-hundred percent, but you can’t penalize somebody for something that could’ve happened. That’s my take on it.”
Comparatively speaking, it was a good gripe to have for Cody Ware, who was reinstated by NASCAR in early December after all legalities — both criminal and civil — were dismissed from a domestic assault case last April. Both Ware and his former girlfriend eventually faced charges, and the ex-girlfriend was also facing a civil suit by Rick Ware, Cody’s dad and NASCAR team owner.
Originally, after the suspension was lifted, Cody Ware issued a written statement:
“I’ve maintained my innocence from the very beginning, even as there was a rush to judgment by others. I’m glad this entire matter is behind me because it’s been an incredibly difficult eight months. With all of the allegations being dismissed, I’m thankful to have my life back.”
Sunday, he expanded, but only to a degree.
“Everything’s all done, charges were dropped,” Cody Ware said Sunday. “I’m ready to move forward with my life and focus on 2024 and beyond. It was a difficult time but I’m just thankful to have it behind me, and the best thing for me is to just focus forward.”
“Forward” includes two more Daytona races Thursday and Friday in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, preliminary events ahead of the weekend’s Rolex 24. After that he’ll run the season’s second VP Challenge doubleheader, in St. Petersburg, ahead of the IndyCar opener.
The biggest comeback in Ware’s return to racing will likely come in April, when he returns to one of his family’s two Cup Series cars, the No. 15 Ford. He’s expected to share that ride with Kaz Grala through the rest of 2024.
“Not set in stone, but tentatively plans are to be back in the Cup car in April,” he said. “We’re dotting our I’s and crossing out T’s there, with sponsorships and…
Read More: Cody Ware back in NASCAR, racing at Daytona, frustrated by penalty 2024-01-21 19:49:23