NASCAR Cup Series driver Cody Ware will race this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway after suffering an ankle injury in a brutal head-on crash last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Ware received medical approval from NASCAR to race after undergoing physical therapy and recovery efforts earlier this week, per Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports.
Ware had been dealing with a loose racecar midway through last weekend's race at Texas when his car broke sideways in turn four and then shot up into the outside wall, hitting it head on at a high rate of speed. The initial impact then hung the throttle on Ware's car, which shot down pit road at a high rate of speed and barely avoided a gap in the pit wall before coming to rest in another car's pit stall.
Ware was able to climb out of his car, but fell to the ground upon exiting and had to be put on a stretcher before being transported to the infield care center via ambulance. Ware spent an extended period of time in the care center, but was later released after tests determined he did not suffer a concussion or any broken bones.
Cody Ware was treated and released after this hard crash at Texas.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 26, 2022
Per Rick Ware Racing, he was headed home after the race. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/dw1py2dYHf
Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Ware commended the response of both his race team and NASCAR's medical team before offering an update on his health.
"Right now, I'm not dealing with too much pain. Just trying to do some physical therapy and recover. More or less just dealing with some stretched ligaments and just a lot of bruising and swelling in my foot and ankle," Ware said. "But I've already been to physical therapy twice and gonna get the final approval today to get confirmation to race at Talladega. And all in all, I think we're gonna be heading in the right direction."
Having received medical clearance to race, Ware will get the opportunity to follow up on a breakthrough performance in NASCAR's last superspeedway race. At Daytona in August, Ware was a factor in the lead pack during the final laps and earned a career-best sixth-place finish.
