NASCAR driver Cody Ware was arrested on Monday on charges of assault on a female and assault by strangulation inflicting serious injury, according to the Associated Press. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina says that the incident occurred at a residence in Mooresville. Ware is no longer in custody as he was released on $3,000 bond. The incident occurred on April 3 just before midnight local time.ย
NASCAR announced it has suspended Wareย indefinitely following the arrest. He sat out the past weekend’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track with Rick Ware Racing, a team that is owned by his father. On Saturday, Rick Ware Racing announced that Cody Ware had to step away “to focus on a personal matter.”
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“We are aware of the incident regarding Cody Ware and his indefinite suspension from NASCAR competition. We understand NASCAR’s position on this matter and accept their decision,” Rick Ware Racing said in a statement on Monday. “The matter is still under investigation and Cody is fully cooperating with the authorities, as due process takes its course. RWR is committed to continuing our multi-car efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series and is in the process of finalizing our plans for the No. 51 entry at Martinsville Speedway, and beyond.”
Cody Ware, 27, began competing in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2021. He made his Cup Series debut in 2017 at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ware has competed in 97 Cup Series races and only has one top-10 finish.ย
When speaking to Fox 17 in Michigan in 2021, Ware talked about a traumatic incident that happen when he was 15 years old. He revealed he was tackled to the ground by a group of bullies with his legs soaked in gasoline and set on fire. “I didn’t feel a whole lot of pain in the moment,” he explained. “I remember when it initially happened, I could smell burning skin and feel the heat but I didn’t feel the pain of the heat.”
Ware also went on to talk about how the incident impacted his mental health. “I didn’t even realize until probably last year that my depression and anxiety was a result of PTSD of a traumatic experience that I had,” Ware said. “I’m kind of acknowledging that and working through that aspect has been a huge help.”
