Cody Ware endured a severe crash last weekend during the Chicago Street Race, crashing heavily into the tire barrier at Turn 6 near the race’s conclusion. Immediately after the impact, Ware communicated through his radio that he needed assistance. Fortunately, he was able to climb out of the car without significant injuries, but the dramatic footage of the crash quickly circulated for its intensity.
Onboard video shows the force of the impact inside Ware’s cockpit
During practice at Sonoma on the following Saturday, TNT Sports shared cockpit camera footage that captured the moment of Ware’s crash from his perspective inside the car. The video illustrates just how intense the collision was, highlighting movement inside the cockpit as padded areas and the steering wheel were pushed forward from the hit.
TNT just showed a replay of Cody Ware’s Chicago crash from the onboard camera looking at Cody inside the cockpit.Look at how the steering wheel and some of the side padding moved forward upon impact.— Steven Taranto, CBS Sports
NASCAR officials call it the most forceful frontal collision in the Next Gen car era
Experts within NASCAR assessed the crash and recognized it as one of the most severe frontal impacts seen since the introduction of the Next Gen race cars. Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, remarked on the unprecedented nature of the collision. He explained that the caution flag was not immediately deployed because officials did not witness the direct impact, only the car coming to rest in the barrier.
That was a big, big hit,
Forde stated.
By the time we saw that 51 in the tire barriers, we did not see the hit. If we did see that hit, that caution would have been immediately thrown, there’s no question about that. But all we saw at that moment in time was the car in the barrier.
—Mike Forde, NASCAR managing director of racing communications
Community response and Ware’s outlook ahead of Sonoma race
Despite the severity of his crash, Ware reassured fans and supporters that he is recovering well and looking forward to competing again soon. He expressed gratitude on social media for the safety measures that helped protect him and praised his team for their support during the difficult moments. Ware also showed enthusiasm for the upcoming race in Sonoma, California, where he aims to build on lessons learned from the Chicago incident.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out the last couple days and checked on me,
Ware wrote on Instagram.
Praise the Lord for keeping me safe during that wreck, blowing a rotor at Chicago was not a fun experience.
Huge thanks to my team and all the mechanics working on these cars to keep me safe, and all of the safety equipment that I was wearing. We had a fast @arbys cheesesteak Ford all day!!! Ready to take what we learned and hit it at Sonoma.
—Cody Ware, NASCAR driver
Looking ahead: Ware’s potential at Sonoma after a challenging weekend in Chicago
Cody Ware may not have the track record of championship contenders, but his performance in Chicago suggested the potential for a strong finish before the crash ended his race early. As he prepares for Sonoma, there is cautious optimism that he can improve on last weekend’s result and deliver a better outcome for his team. This incident also underscores continued attention on driver safety as NASCAR’s Next Gen cars face the challenges posed by street circuits and high-speed impacts.