NASCAR issued an indefinite suspension to Cody Ware, the driver of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang, after he was arrested for “assault by strangulation.”
As reported by FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass, Iredell County, North Carolina charged Ware with a felony “assault by strangulation – inflict serious injury” and a misdemeanor “assault on female” on April 10, 2023.
Ware posted bail and is currently “out of custody” according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s department’s records.
In a blog post, NASCAR announced they indefinitely suspended Ware following his arrest. The post states, “NASCAR officials issued an indefinite suspension of Cup Series driver Cody Ware on Monday.”
Ware’s team Rick Ware Racing previously announced Ware would not race in Sunday night’s Bristol Dirt Race due to a “personal matter.”
The team posted on Twitter, “Cody Ware will step away from racing this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway to focus on a personal matter. Matt Crafton will drive the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing. Crafton has more than 500 overall-starts in his NASCAR career, winning back-to-back NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championships in 2013 and 2014. The Ware family asks that their privacy be respected during this time.”
Following NASCAR’s suspension, the team issued another statement noting they recognized and accepted NASCAR’s decision to suspend Ware.
The team wrote on Twitter, ” We are aware of the incident regarding Cody Ware and his indefinite suspension from NASCAR competition. We understand NASCAR’s position on this matter and accept their decision.”
“The matter is still under investigation and Cody is fully cooperating with the authorities, as due process takes its course. RWR is committed to continuing our multi-car efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series and is in the process of finalizing our plans for the No. 51 entry at Martinsville Speedway, and beyond. These plans will be announced in the coming days,” they concluded.
At the time of his suspension, Ware was 31st in the NASCAR Cup Series standing. However, due to his suspension, NASCAR has already removed his name from the points standings.
Ware has been racing in the Cup Series since 2017 albeit he’s never actually raced a full season. The closest he got was 2022 when he raced 35 of the 36 races. In 2021 he raced 32 of 36 races.
His average finish in the Cup Series is 30.5. He had his best finish last year at Daytona International Speedway with a sixth place. It’s his only top 10 finish of his Cup career.
What do you make of NASCAR indefinitely suspending Cody Ware before a conviction?
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