Sonoma Raceway Report: Cody Ware Faces Challenges
Cody Ware returned to racing at Sonoma Raceway after a harrowing incident at the Chicago Street Course where his car suffered a catastrophic brake rotor failure, resulting in a high-speed crash. Fortunately, the Sonoma race did not feature major accidents; however, it was not devoid of its own challenges.
In the closing laps, Ware’s No. 51 Ford from Rick Ware Racing experienced a significant setback when the right-rear wheel detached from the vehicle, leading to a caution flag. Despite the incident, Ware managed to bring the car back to the pits and completed the race, finishing 34th out of 37, marking his worst result since April’s Bristol event.
As a consequence of the wheel failure, NASCAR has issued penalties to the Rick Ware Racing team. Rear tire changer Marquill Osborne and jackman De’Quan Hampton are suspended for the next two races at Dover and Indianapolis.
Additional penalties from the weekend included fines for unsecured lug nuts in the Xfinity Series, affecting teams from Richard Childress Racing, Sam Hunt Racing, and Alpha Prime Racing.
As the season progresses, the implications of these incidents and penalties may influence performance and strategy moving forward for both Ware and his team.
