2023 was a bitter cherry on top of a rough few years for Cody Ware and his father, Rick. NASCAR suspended the 28-year-older Cup Series driver in the early months of the season after he was charged with physical assault. After missing out on most of the racing season, he now finds the charges against him dropped. His father, Rick Ware, himself has gone through hell in this time narrowly escaping the risk of his team’s charter being repossessed by the promotion.

While it appears that the winds have finally turned in their favor, the Rick Ware Racing family is not out of the shark’s jaws yet. Facing heavy monetary losses courtesy of the legal proceedings that “strangled” them this year, they stand at the foot of a steep hill.

Rick Ware Racing loses $3.5 million in sponsor money in a bid to save Cody Ware

Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass recently mentioned via Fox Sports that Rick Ware Racing had filed lawsuits against Cody’s ex-girlfriend (who was the alleged victim when he was suspended in April) in November, claiming that her false statements to the police and their implications had cost the team $3.5 million in sponsorship. This included the dollars from their new partner, Biohaven. The racing outfit also contested that they had to spend in surplus of $300,000 on drivers to carry the team after Cody’s suspension.

Pockrass further wrote, “They allege she called the police and ‘made statements to the police and others that were not true’ so that Ware’s career and the team would be affected. […] The lawsuits did not specify the amount of dollars sought in damages.”

Now, all the litigations in the matter have been dropped by the concerned district attorney’s office and NASCAR has announced that Cody will be reinstated. But is this a downfall that Rick Ware Racing can come back from? Fortunately, the events that transpired during Cody’s absence make it an easier job to do.

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Rick Ware’s power moves in 2023 could push RWR ahead

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One of the key moves from the 60-year-old team owner this year was signing in Justin Haley. The 24-year-old has spent some years with Kaulig Racing and his move to the RFK-RWR alliance could mean a big step ahead for all the parties involved. Not coincidentally, Haley’s signing was also one of the biggest reasons for NASCAR not choosing to repossess the #51 charter that Rick Ware owns.

By the rulebook, the promotion carries the right to take back a team’s charter if it ends in the bottom 3 of the grid for 3 years in a row. The No. 51 team of Rick Ware Racing did that. But from the eyes of the promotion Haley’s signing and the RFK Racing alliance showed “commitment to performance”. Now that Cody has been reinstated, there isn’t a lot of doubt that he will be running alongside Haley in 2024. The only point of hope now is that his return doesn’t set back the positive momentum that Rick Ware has found with the team.

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