Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series, will step away from racing this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway to focus on a personal matter, the team announced Saturday afternoon.
Ware, 27, was set to compete in Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race (7 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR). The team will hand over driving duties to three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and veteran Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 ThorSport Ford. Crafton will also compete in Saturday’s Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR).
Statement from Rick Ware Racing
Cody Ware will step away from racing this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway to focus on a personal matter. Matt Crafton will drive the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing. Crafton has more than 500 overall-starts in his NASCAR career, winning… pic.twitter.com/hUURe7RM6Q
— Rick Ware Racing (@RickWareRacing) April 8, 2023