Cody Ware faced a challenging day at the “frustrating” Daytona last weekend. Despite strong efforts, Ware and his team couldn’t avoid getting caught up in a late crash.
This didn’t stop the driver from looking forward to the next race in Atlanta, where he hopes to redeem himself and show what his team can do when their potential can be realized. He called the Daytona experience “heartbreaking,” given their opportunity to win, but now he is focused on turning the page.
The Daytona 500 this year was filled with excitement as always. It was the 67th running of this iconic race, which was won by William Byron for the second time in a row. Cody Ware, on the other hand, faced a different story.
Starting 28th, he instead found himself caught up in the final lap crash, finishing 25th, a disappointment for the Rick Ware Racing team. Ware had high expectations for the race, and given the improvements his team had made in their superspeedway program, they had hoped for a better finish.
This program had been growing stronger over the past year, but the unpredictability of Daytona left them frustrated.
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Cody Ware said the following via a press release:
“Yeah, absolutely. I think even last year in 2024 our superspeedway program was pretty stout, and I feel like on the 51 team we did everything we said we were gonna do.
“Obviously, qualifying in the Duels didn’t work out quite like we wanted to, but we put ourselves in contention to win the race just like we have several times in the past at Daytona, so definitely heartbreaking.
“I felt like we actually made our way through that crash and then at the last minute I got caught up in the end with the 54 car coming off the wall, so frustrating, but I think, to Corey’s point, we also are gonna have a lot of speed this weekend.”
Looking ahead to the Atlanta race, Ware is optimistic. Atlanta Motor Speedway has now taken on a style more similar to Daytona, meaning it’s prime ground for some luck, just like the previous race.
This configuration plays well into RWR’s strengths, giving Ware another chance to aim for a top finish. He’s hopeful for a better result as he sets his sights on reaching the front of the pack along with fellow driver Corey LaJoie.
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On why he’s optimistic heading into Atlanta despite the Daytona disappointment, Ware said:
“This is another plate-style package we have going into Atlanta this weekend and feel like we can do more of the same and, hopefully, I can join Corey up front and get to the lead quick here on Sunday.”
On RWR’s growing strength in superspeedway races: “I think even last year in 2024 our superspeedway program was pretty stout.”
The Daytona incident was particularly disappointing for Ware due to its timing. Moving into Atlanta, he and his team see it as a chance to show what they’ve improved upon and set their sights on finishing strong.
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