“Why not us?”
That’s the message that Rick Ware Racing and driver Cody Ware were sending heading into the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
Heading into the weekend, that had the entire organization jacked up and ready to try and pull off the upset of all upsets, getting 36th-ranked Cody Ware into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
The final rundown for Saturday’s event will show a 20th-place finish for the No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse, but there were several moments throughout the 160-lap event where that earth-shattering win seemed like a possibility.
“It was definitely not the result we wanted, but I think we showed the guys today that we’re going to keep showing up at these races and keep trying to do our best to win,” Cody Ware said post-race. “It’s gonna come sooner rather than later, so just super glad to get the No. 51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang up front.”
Ware managed to put his special-edition No. 51 Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang up at the front of the pack for the first time at Lap 39, and played the role of pied piper for the next 17 laps before being passed by Ty Dillon.
The Greensboro, North Carolina-native returned to the front of the pack a couple of additional times throughout the race, the latest of which was at Lap 113, before coming down pit road for his final pit stop, which ensured he would be safe to make it to the end on fuel.
Spending 23 laps out in front of the field, Ware led more laps in Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway than in his entire NASCAR National Series career combined, which has spanned 166 races.
Once things were able to get cycled out in the final fuel run of the afternoon, and Ware was at the tail-end of the lead draft, it was difficult to make progress through the field. In the final laps, when the outside lane surged ahead, the No. 51 was stuck on the bottom, and left to finish in 20th.
“Just super happy with that. Obviously, P20 for us here isn’t a phenomenal result, but I think as far as the race and what we showed on track, it was the best we’ve ever done,” Ware said. “Really happy with the RWR team, really happy to get the Arby’s car up front like we did all day long, and I think it’s something to build off of.”
“When you have a tough season like we’ve been having, even these little victories and moments go a long way for morale and just trying to stay focused on what we’re trying to accomplish. Thankful for all the guys at the shop giving me the best shot possible.”
While it isn’t a flashy victory, like the one that comes with a trophy and a NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs berth, Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona did provide the Rick Ware Racing team with the confidence that a victory could be on the horizon soon.
“I think people better starting wrapping their brains around sometime soon we’re going to be in Victory Lane,” Ware said. “So, looking forward to keep hitting our marks and getting closer to that day.
After all, the fortune cookie did say “victory is just around the corner”.
