Interview: Why I Sponsored Carson Ware - The Full Story
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Carson Ware Is A Redemption Story That Everyone Should and Can Get Behind

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - ncarol.com -- Q: You had been sponsoring at Martinsville for years. How did that situation change heading into 2025?

A: I had sponsored at Martinsville for several years in a row and wanted to keep it going. I had done about seven races total with Ryan Ellis. Historically, most of those deals had come together very last second. I always told Ryan, "Consider me a sponsor of last resort." I was never going to pay full ticket for an Xfinity race, and he knew that. If he could sell the race at full value, I wanted him to.

So heading into 2025, I hadn't heard from him. When I reached out about Martinsville, he told me he had sold it to Southern Elevator. Honestly, that didn't surprise me at all. He had been driving really well, and he's incredibly good at selling sponsorship.

The only thing that mildly surprised me was not being offered first shot at it. But at the end of the day, Martinsville was taken.

So I asked him directly, "Do you mind if I go out and find another driver so I can still do Martinsville?" And he said, "Yeah, that's fine."

That's when Carson entered the picture.

Q: How did you even know who Carson was?

A: The only reason I was even aware of Carson was because he once commented on one of our race car picture tweets and said it was a good-looking car.
That's it. Flattery goes a long way with me.
So when I was looking at drivers, I reached out to three people:
  • Kyle Weatherman

  • Kris Wright

  • Carson Ware
I spoke to all three. Then I told myself: now it's time to do due diligence. Kyle was probably the best of the three drivers on pure speed but was least likely to have teams who could carve out at the rates I look for. Kris already had a primary sponsor that he is significantly tied to and it is tough to squeeze out the most from a driver when they have an anchor sponsor. Carson had motivation to work hard for the brand and he put in the effort very quickly.

Q: What does "due diligence" mean in this context?

A: When you're putting your brand on a car, especially in NASCAR, you're not just buying laps, you're buying association.

I break due diligence into two categories:

Macro diligence — what people call green flags and red flags. Reputation. Industry talk. Surface-level research.

Micro diligence — digging into court documents, verifying records, making calls, pulling actual files. You can't just stop at one.

Q: What did the macro diligence show?

A: The very first thing I did was reach out to one of my largest vendors. They've done significant business with Rick Ware — Carson's dad — for years.

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Their response was immediate:

"Rick is one of the nicest guys in the world."

That checked out with my own experience.

Then I started calling people in the industry — people who had worked with Rick Ware Racing, vendors, employees, people close to the team and people who knew Carson. People affiliated with other drivers who would have no incentive to not be honest.

Over and over and over again I heard the same phrase:

"Carson's a really good kid."
"He's a really good kid."
"He works hard."

You don't get that kind of repetition by accident. Especially not from vendors or employees. It's one thing if you ask someone's mom and she says he's the best kid ever — you take that with a grain of salt.

But when independent people in the sport, with nothing to gain, keep telling you the same thing — that matters.

Q: But there was troubling online information. How did you handle that?

A: You don't ignore it.

I was aware, at a surface level, of what had transpired in Carson's past. And when you see headlines like that, you don't just brush them aside.

So I told Carson directly:
"Tell me what happened."

He was open. He didn't dodge it. He explained his version.

Then I said, okay — now let me corroborate this.

Q: What did your micro diligence uncover?

A: I started by searching Rowan County court records. Nothing showed up.

I do background checks for employees all the time. I know how to navigate court systems. I also know how things can be hidden. And I know how to find things when they're hidden.

So I took the next step: I called the clerk of court directly with document numbers.

The response was clear:

The case had been dismissed and expunged due to lack of evidence and a non-cooperating witness.

That aligned with Carson's explanation.

Now, at that point, you have a choice.
You can either:
  • Stop there and believe the documentation.

  • Or keep digging.
I kept digging.

Q: You actually spoke with someone involved in the incident?

A: Yes. And that was the turning point for me.

After the Martinsville race, I was walking out of the tunnel toward that parking lot up on the hill. A guy gave Carson a hug.

I asked Carson, "Who's that?"

He said, "That's the guy I had the altercation with."

I said, "Do you care if I talk to him?"
He said, "No, go ahead."

So I approached him privately and said:

"Carson is trying to build a NASCAR career. There's a nasty cloud over his head that he assaulted a female, and that female was your girlfriend. Can you tell me what happened?"

From a first-person account, this is what I was told:

There had been drinking.
There was an argument.
He was a Rick Ware employee who was living with Carson at the time.

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That employee locked himself in a room.
Everyone was belligerent.
A picture got knocked off the wall.
Glass shattered.

The employee, believing he might get fired, told police in a drunken state that Carson had hit his girlfriend.

According to him:

Nobody was hit.
Not him.
Not the girlfriend.

And this is a person who - Still works for Rick Ware. - Still maintains a relationship with Carson.
That conversation mattered.

Q: Did that resolve everything for you?

A: It gave me enough clarity.

When I look at it, I consider the dismissed and expunged charges, the fact that there was no cooperating witness, his reputation in the industry, a first-person account from someone who was actually there, the fact that the parties continued working together afterward, and my own personal interactions with Carson.

At some point, you evaluate patterns.

Every interaction I've had with Carson has shown me respect, gratitude, a strong work ethic, and a real willingness to take ownership of his past.
He knows that once something hits the internet, it never fully disappears. That's a brand you wear whether it's accurate or not.

The only thing you can do is show something different through your actions.

Q: Why were you comfortable associating your brand with him?

A: Because business decisions should be made on verified facts and firsthand experience not Twitter

The evidence in front of me showed the charges were dismissed, the record was expunged, there was no substantiated finding, the industry consensus was positive, and at the end of the day, this is a young driver who simply wants to work.
And I believe in accountability and growth.

Before Martinsville, we raised over $10,000 for NACOA — an organization that supports people and families affected by alcoholism. Alcohol has played a role in a lot of poor decisions across many industries. That doesn't automatically define someone's entire life.

People deserve to be evaluated based on truth and trajectory.

Q: What have you seen from Carson since?

A: He shows up.
He works.
He engages sponsors.
He understands this is a partnership business.

He doesn't act entitled. He acts hungry.

And in motorsports, hunger matters.

Q: Bottom line why Carson?

A: Because after doing more due diligence than most people ever would, I saw that the legal system dismissed the case, the documentation matched his account, the other person involved corroborated it, the industry speaks highly of him, and every interaction I've had reinforces that he's a good kid just trying to build a career.
At some point, you make a judgment call.

And based on facts, consistency, and character I was comfortable making that call.

https://costaoils.com/costa-oil-partners-with-carson-ware-to-raise-awareness-about-alcoholism-and-the-power-of-second-chances/

Media Contact
Vincent Mancini
vincent@costaoils.com


Source: Costa Kapothanasis
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