Rick Ware Racing driver and son of Rick Ware, Cody Ware, has been reinstated by NASCAR after his felony assault charges were dropped by the Iredell County district attorney’s office. Cody Ware, who made the 7 Cup Series start in 2023, expressed his gratitude to be reinstated, putting the entire matter behind him.

The #51 Ford driver was suspended indefinitely in April after he was arrested by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office on a felony of “assault by strangulation—inflict serious injury” and a misdemeanor charge of “assault on a female.” However, the attorney’s office dropped all charges after both the driver and his ex-girlfriend decided not to cooperate with the prosecutors.

NASCAR reinstates Cody Ware, 8 months after he ran into trouble

“I’m thankful to have my life back,” said the driver, who was arrested in April after his then-girlfriend alleged that the driver had assaulted her. The authorities pranced into action, considering the seriousness of the matter as a case of domestic violence. Consequently, hours after he was charged, NASCAR suspended the driver indefinitely on April 10, a week after their alleged altercation.

What followed was a legal battle between the driver and his ex-girlfriend, with both levying charges against each other. Fortunately for the driver, after 8 months of agony and an “incredibly difficult” time, the charges against both were dropped after the prosecutors couldn’t proceed without their testimony.

In a brief statement, Cody Ware shared his gratitude to be back. He said, “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.”

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RWR’s 3.5 million loss following the assault charges

While we do not intend to go further, diving deeper into the legalities of the matter, Fox Sports’ veteran reporter Bob Pockrass’ report suggests that the team, shortly after its driver’s arrest, lost a major sponsorship. In his report, the journalist details that because of the allegation and Cody Ware’s arrest, the team lost 3.5 million in sponsorship, including Biohaven.

In response to the lady’s charges, the team filed a counter lawsuit claiming that it had lost over $300,000 on drivers to replace the 28-year-old. In the absence of Cody Ware, this year was quickly replaced by many including veteran sensation, Ryan Newman, Zane Smith, and Xfinity Series champion, Cole Custer.

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