At Daytona International Speedway in Florida, twenty-four drivers have secured their first NASCAR Cup Series wins, with twelve of those triumphs occurring during the summer 400-mile race. This Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 offers Cody Ware the opportunity to become the thirteenth first-time winner at this event, as he seeks a breakthrough victory. Ware, driving the No. 51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing, has marked Daytona as a track where he can make a major impact.
With 131 career Cup Series starts, the 29-year-old from Greensboro, North Carolina, has shown steady improvement, especially at Daytona. Last year, Ware achieved his best career finish with a fourth-place result, trailing race winner Harrison Burton by only fractions of a second. Burton, like Ware, celebrated his first victory in his 98th Cup Series start at last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Confidence and Strategy Behind Ware’s Daytona Push
Reflecting on his prospects for Saturday night’s race, Ware emphasized the team’s consistent performance at Daytona, especially in the summer event.
“We always seem to do well at Daytona every time we go there, but I think even more so in the summer, so why not us?”
Ware said about his chances this year. He added,
“I don’t know what it is about the night race, whether it’s the heightened aggression of the field and being able to capitalize on it even more than in the Daytona 500, but I’d say we have just as good a shot as anybody to win on Saturday night.”
The aggression Ware mentioned is a hallmark of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, which serves as the final race of the regular NASCAR season and represents the last chance for drivers to win their way into the 16-driver playoff lineup. The 2023 edition of the race was marked by 40 lead changes and two major multicar crashes that eliminated nearly half the field, demonstrating the intense competitive atmosphere.
Ware described his fourth-place finish last year as a mix of
“survival and a bit of racing hard,”
highlighting his decision-making throughout the race:
“It was really about the timing of when I made decisions. It wasn’t about racing hard versus not racing hard. It was knowing when to race and when to ride, and that played a lot into our result.”
The Mental and Tactical Game at Daytona
Daytona presents a unique challenge compared to most NASCAR tracks where mechanical and aerodynamic tuning produces clear speed differentiators between cars. At Daytona, all 40 cars are often closely packed, creating a field where parity dominates.
Ware explained,
“At Daytona, it’s about as equal as it gets. The name of the game is survival, and it’s more of a mental game. It’s like playing chess at 200 mph versus beating and banging. It’s not traditional stock car racing.”
He also expressed confidence in his superspeedway skills, saying,
“I feel like I’ve honed my craft at the superspeedways and the results show. And now more than ever, we’ve put ourselves in position where we’ve had great results. Now is the time to capitalize and put the 51 in victory lane.”
One critical factor at Daytona is the draft, where having effective partners to push and be pushed by enhances performance. Ware discussed the importance of alliances, noting,
“Last year, we had a good drafting partner behind us in Brad Keselowski. He helped us race hard and get a good restart. That’s a large part of it – who you’ve got behind you and who you’ve got in front of you, who you can push and who’s going to push you.”
Challenges of Team Size and Dynamic Drafting Partners
Rick Ware Racing fields only one car in Cup Series competition, which means Ware does not have a built-in drafting teammate. He must instead form partnerships dynamically during the race to stay competitive.
“Finding a drafting partner is situational, especially in this race with it being the last race before the playoffs,”
Ware pointed out. He described the strategic nature of the event, where
“There are guys who will take a lot more risk trying to win their way into the playoffs. Knowing which guys are on the bubble and who is already locked into the playoffs is important. Some guys might be less aggressive, some might be willing to take all the risk, either because it’s their last chance to make the playoffs, or because they’re already in and they feel like they’re playing with house money, so they go hard for another win. So, just having good awareness and navigating all that is important. You do a good bit of homework leading up to the race just to understand where everyone is in the points.”
Building Momentum Based on Past Performances
Ware credits his growing confidence to his strong performances at both Daytona and Talladega, sharing,
“I’ve built up a lot of confidence at Daytona and its sister track, Talladega. Superspeedway racing just suits my driving style.”
He explained that his approach has shifted in recent years, saying,
“In years past, I took a much more cautious approach to these races. But the last handful of times we’ve been to Daytona and Talladega, I’ve ramped up my aggression level without putting myself in bad spots. I’ve got the confidence to just race hard, get up front, and stay up front.”
Ware also identified his preferred racing positions on superspeedways:
“I think you either want to be at the very front or the very back. Anywhere else is kind of no man’s land. My goal is get up front and run in that top-10, and I think as long as we execute and don’t make mistakes, we’re going to be in a good place to do just that.”
History of First-Time Winners at Daytona’s 400-Miler
Daytona’s summer 400-mile race has a rich history of drivers who achieved their first NASCAR Cup Series wins there. Legendary racer A.J. Foyt captured his first Cup victory at the 1964 Firecracker 400, setting the stage for drivers such as Sam McQuagg in 1966, Greg Sacks in 1985, and Jimmy Spencer in 1994. Other first-time winners at Daytona include John Andretti (1997), Greg Biffle (2003), David Ragan (2011), Aric Almirola (2014), Erik Jones (2018), Justin Haley (2019), William Byron (2020), and most recently Harrison Burton in 2024.
Cody Ware now seeks to add his name to this impressive list of drivers who have capitalized on the unique challenges of Daytona to claim their maiden Cup Series victory.
Upcoming Qualifying and Race Schedule
Ware’s attempt to secure his first win officially begins with Friday qualifying for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at 5:05 p.m. EDT. The qualifying session will be covered live by TruTV and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The main event is scheduled for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., with flag-to-flag live coverage broadcast on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, offering fans a front-row seat to what promises to be an intense and thrilling race.
