RWR accuses Cody Ware’s spotter of lying after big Daytona blunder

During Saturday’s Cup Series race at Daytona, Cody Ware received no clear instructions regarding when he should pit. The Rick Ware Racing driver was expecting concise directions from his spotter, but was confused by multiple voices speaking over one another.

As reported by Toby Christie through X (formerly Twitter), upon questioning, Cody Ware’s spotter stated that he never heard crew chief Billy Plourde inform him when the No. 51 car would arrive at pit road. However, the team denied it and accused Ware's spotter of lying.

“Cody Ware says the team needs to just have one person tell him when he's pitting and not speak over top of each other,” Christie’s post read. “Spotter is questioned on why he didn't tell Ware to pit before the lap they were pitting.”

“Spotter says he didn't hear when they were pitting. The team called BS and said that they heard the crew chief tell him, and heard him say copy,” the post further mentioned.

Cody Ware is in his first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2023. The team he drives for is owned by his father and former professional race car driver, Rick Ware. The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina.

At Daytona, Ware turned heads by leading 21 laps, matching the single-race record for Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series. Named Coke Zero Sugar 400, the 400-lap event is currently underway. Fans can watch the race on Peacock or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

After this race, the drivers will head to Darlington Raceway for the opening round of the 2025 NASCAR playoffs. Cody Ware is one of the drivers who has to win today’s race to qualify for the postseason. The Greensboro, N.C. native is ranked 36th in the driver standings with 168 points to his name.

---

North Carolina judge rules Cody Ware’s NASCAR team cannot sell its charter right away

Cody Ware’s NASCAR team, Rick Ware Racing, has been prevented from transferring or selling its pair of charters until the lawsuit involving RWR and Legacy Motor Club is resolved for good.

Earlier this year, Legacy Motor Club, which is owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, sued Rick Ware Racing for backing out of an agreement regarding the sale of an RWR Charter to the Statesville, North Carolina-based team. RWR uses one of those charters to back Ware and his No. 51 entry in the series.

Its second charter is currently leased to RFK Racing and is used by Ryan Preece and the No. 60 group. However, as per the rules, a charter can be leased only once to a team, which means that RWR will have to lease its charter to another team in 2026.