NASCAR says it is developing a faster crash-data review system after the Cody Ware incident at Watkins Glen International sparked major debate during Sunday’s Cup Series race.
Ware slammed the outside wall in Turn 6 with nine laps remaining, but NASCAR did not immediately throw a caution flag despite the violent impact. The incident quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend, with fans, media members, and even members of the broadcast questioning why the race remained green.
Now, NASCAR officials say changes could be coming.
During the latest episode of NASCAR’s “Hauler Talk” podcast, vice president of racing communications Mike Forde revealed the sanctioning body is actively working on a process that would allow race control to receive and analyze crash data much faster during races.
According to Forde, the initial confusion at Watkins Glen stemmed from how Ware’s No. 51 car rolled away from the scene after the impact.
“Tim Berman clicks over to Turn 6, and as he flips over, he sees the 51 rolling off, and the turn spotter radios the track is clear, so there’s no debris,” Forde explained. “That’s how it all happened and why there was no caution.”
Forde said the incident immediately led to internal discussions about how NASCAR could improve its response time in crashes where the severity of the impact is not immediately obvious from visual replay alone.
“There should have been a caution. How do you fix that?” Forde said. “So here’s what the plan is for fixing that.”
NASCAR Working to Speed Up Crash Data Reviews
Forde said NASCAR vice president of safety engineering John Patalak has already been developing a system that would streamline the delivery of crash data from a car’s incident data recorder directly to race control.
That data includes information such as G-forces and peak acceleration, which can help officials quickly determine the severity of a crash.
“What’s going to happen, and I have no timetable on this, but this data is going to be sent to race control and then be able to be reviewed pretty quickly,” Forde said. “Then we can decide, ‘Hey, that was too big a hit. Even though they rolled off, we need to throw a caution here.’”
Forde added that NASCAR hopes to begin implementing the process alongside a new McLaren Applied engine control unit expected to debut this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway.
“The data and the science is already done and can be calculated pretty quickly,” Forde said. “Now it’s kind of like just more of a delivery of that data and packaging it and analyzing it.”
Cody Ware Evaluated and Released After Crash
Ware exited the car after the incident and was evaluated and released from the infield care center.
Forde also addressed concerns surrounding the barrier in the area of the crash, saying NASCAR reviewed the damage after the race and determined the wall performed as intended.
“We didn’t get any reports that the wall was damaged, but we did look at it after the race, and the damage is more of a pushback,” Forde said. “We want it to give. It almost treats it like a SAFER barrier.”
The Watkins Glen incident has continued to generate discussion throughout the week, especially as NASCAR works to balance keeping races green with reacting quickly to potentially dangerous situations.
Now, the sanctioning body appears determined to make sure race control has more information — and faster access to it — the next time a similar crash happens.
NASCAR Developing New System After Cody Ware Watkins Glen Controversy