Archive for August, 2018

LOGANO SWEEPS XFINITY RACE AT WATKINS GLEN!

Posted on: August 6th, 2018
Location: post

WATKINS GLEN, NY – August 6, 2018 – Team Penske with the No. 22 Ford Mustang reached Victory Lane for the fifth time this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Joey Logano won the pole on Saturday morning and led the field to the checkered flag at Watkins Glen in the Zippo 200.

“Congratulations to Joey for his 30th career Xfinity win and to Roger and Team Penske for their fifth Xfinity win this season,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Joey and Brad put the Ford Mustangs on the front row to start the race and the guys just put on a great race with the rest of the field this weekend for some exciting NASCAR road course racing.”

Logano recorded a qualifying lap time of 71.70 to start from the pole. He would trade the lead throughout the race with Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece, but in the final laps it was Logano who made the move of the race.

It became a battle between the Team Penske teammates, in a split-second decision during the last restart, the No. 22 darted to the inside and pulled alongside Keselowski and gained a slight advantage to take the lead. With two laps remaining, the No.12 Keselowski, ended up going off line and off the track. Logano ultimately went onto to win the race for his 50th career NASCAR National series win. Keselowski finished the race in 10th. The Team Penske duo combined to lead 57 of the 82 laps.

“They both were good cars,” Logano commented when asked about the difference between the No. 22 and No.12.  “They’re both great teams. The pit crew on both cars are Cup teams when we come to the road course here with the pit stops backwards, so we do that to get some experience for our guys, but, really, I guess probably the advantage is to the 12 because they don’t race for stages and we’ve got to race for stage points, so it was probably maybe a little advantage there. It comes down to the end of it like the last few years it seems like it’s the two of us battling it out like crazy. I was working as hard as I can there. It was a fun battle. These XFINITY cars have a really good package around this race track for some racing because there’s just enough draft to keep the leader from pulling away.”
Finishing order for the entire Ford Performance Team was strong. Aric Almirola, driving the No. 98, finished fifth for Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing while Cole Custer, in the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Ford Mustang, finished sixth. In addition, No. 16 Ryan Reed from Roush Fenway Racing brought home an eighth place finish while No. 60 Austin Cindric finished 13th and Kaz Grala in fifteenth for Fury Racing in the No. 61.
The MENCS and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) split the schedule this weekend. MENCS will be in Michigan and NXS head to Mid-Ohio. Reference the full 2018 schedule on Roush Yates Engines.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 339 WINS – 305 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media

 

DOUBLE PODIUM FINISH FOR FORD AT ROAD AMERICA

Posted on: August 6th, 2018
Location: post

ELKHART LAKE, WI – August 6, 2018 – Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe took the No. 67, Ford GT to the top of the podium to mark the fourth win in a row for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing (FCGR) and Ford Performance, in the IMSA Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America.

“Congratulations to Chip and the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team, along with Volt Racing team,” saidDoug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “We’ve seen some close races in the past, but these two came down to the wire during the final laps. Ford Chip Ganassi Racing and Volt Racing both had strong cars this weekend and with the team’s race strategies and never give up attitudes these teams succeeded.”
The Ford GTs started the race side-by-side on the front row. Dirk Müller in the No 66 (2:02.479), captured their third pole in a row at Road America, while teammate Briscoe (2:02.650) in the No. 67 qualified second.
The direct injection, 3.6L, twin-turbo Ford EcoBoost V6 race engine performed perfectly during the two-hour, 40-minute road race sprint. The Roush Yates Engines’ Engineering team, alongside their Ford Performance teammates monitored the engines and cars, to maximize the power and performance of the Ford EcoBoost throughout the 276-mile race.
The in-class racing was fierce and would come down to the final laps of the race. Starting with the second to the last lap of the race, the No. 67 regained the lead. Westbrook, managing his tires and fuel, brought the battle worn Ford GT across the finish line to take the checkered flag and regain the championship points lead.

“It’s just an incredible run we’re having right now,” Westbrook said. “Confidence is so high. The wins aren’t coming easy by any stretch of the imagination. We’re having to work for them. This is a track that really suits our car, but it was tough at the end. The BMW was fast, but I guess they short-fueled too much. We’re just delighted to get the win. It’s such a great run for the whole program, Ford CGR. It’s a hell of a ride right now and we’re just enjoying every moment of it.”

GTLM Driver Points Standings 
1st No.67 | Briscoe & Westbrook
3rd No.66 | Hand & Müller

FCGR has led the GTLM standings since the No. 67 car won the season-opener at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The Ford Mustang GT4, powered by the Ford Mustang 5.2L V8, also had a successful weekend in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, GS class.

Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman earned their first win in the No. 7 Volt Racing Ford Mustang GT4 at Road America in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. This was the first win for Volt Racing in the GS Class.
“It’s our first win in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge,” Brynjolfsson, Team Owner and Co-Driver said. “The team put together a great car, but more importantly, Mike had a brilliant strategy that put us in position, then Trent was the guy wonder who just took it home and did a great job. It’s a great morale booster, because we knew we could do it. We should be there, and we’ve had a lot of unfortunate things happen throughout the year that put us out, but this is the first time we’ve given Trent a proper car with a chance and this is what he can do with the right car.”

In a hotly contested race the six Ford Mustangs started off fast and furious in the 25-car field. The two-hour race came down to fuel savings and brake management, along with keeping yourself in contention.
With three laps to go, multiple cars pitted for a splash of fuel, but Volt Racing calculated their fuel strategy down to the last ounce and was able to stay out and take over the lead. The No. 7 took the white flag with only fumes left in the tank. Hindman paced the car perfectly to complete the final 4.048-mile track and take the checkered flag.

The No. 80 MBRP Performance Exhaust car finished P6, the No. 8 ModSpace car finished P7, the No. 59 Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports car finished P11, the No. 15 Multimatic car of Scott Maxwell and Ford development drive Ty Majeski finished P12 while the No. 60 Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports finished P13.
The teams will take this momentum as they head into the last three races of the season; Virginia International Raceway, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 341 WINS – 306 POLES!

*Images courtesy of Ford Performance

REVEAL OF THE 2019 FORD MUSTANG for MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES

Posted on: August 9th, 2018
Location: post
DEARBORN,  MI, August 9, 2018 –
Nearly four months after Ford Performance announced it would bring the company’s iconic Mustang to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019, the official reveal is here.

On Thursday, August 9th, at noon ET, Ford Motor Co. will unveil the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford Mustang LIVE from Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford will pull the cover off its latest body style. The event will be live-streamed on both Ford Performance Facebook and  Roush Yates Engines Facebook pages. Tune-in at that time. | MUSTANG 

 

Ford NASCAR Mustang Revealed; World’s Best-Selling Sports Coupe Ready for Cup Competition in 2019

Posted on: August 9th, 2018
Location: post

Ford NASCAR Mustang Revealed; World’s Best-Selling Sports Coupe Ready for Cup Competition in 2019

 

  • Ford unveils the new NASCAR Mustang that will compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 for employees at the company’s World Headquarters
  • World’s best-selling sports coupe moves to America’s most popular form of racing – for the first time ever – debuting at 2019 Daytona 500 in February
  • Ford Performance and Ford Design teams worked together on new model to create competitive race car that remains true to its heritage

 

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 9, 2018 – Ford today revealed its all-new Mustang NASCAR Cup race car, the first time Mustang – the world’s best-selling sports car – will compete in NASCAR’s top-level Cup racing series.

“Mustang has raced since it was first sold in 1964,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice president, Product Development and Purchasing, who was on hand to help unveil the car.  “After more than a half-century, it feels great to finally let Mustang run in the top echelon of America’s most popular stock car racing series.”

Even before Mustang became a global icon, its first competition was in 1964, when it surprisingly won the Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 4,000 mile, 10-day rally. Soon after, it began a racing legacy in SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, NHRA, Formula Drift and NASCAR Xfinity – NASCAR’s second tier series.

“Ever since we announced in April that Mustang would be going to the Cup level in 2019, we’ve heard nothing but positive feedback,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.  “Our Ford Performance team has worked hard with the Ford Design team to create a Mustang that will be competitive on the track while remaining true to its proud heritage. We can’t wait to see it winning races in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.”

Ford Design and Ford Performance worked carefully to translate Mustang’s signature style to meet NASCAR rules, ensuring Mustang will look as great on the oval as it does on the street.

All 13 Ford drivers currently competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series were on hand for the unveiling for employees at the company’s World Headquarters, along with team owners and NASCAR executives.

“We look forward to seeing the Ford Mustang, a cultural icon, on the track in the most competitive series in all of motorsports,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “Our sport eagerly anticipates the performance, style and fanfare the Mustang will bring to the track each weekend beginning at the 2019 Daytona 500.”

Mustang has been competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2011 and has won a championship in all but one season.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won back-to-back driver’s championships in 2011 and 2012, while Roger Penske has claimed the owner’s title in four of the last five years.

Today’s reveal comes on the heels of a celebration of the 10 millionth Mustang off the assembly line in Flat Rock, Mich., on Wednesday.

The first race for the new NASCAR Mustang will be the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2019.

# # #

 About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

 

HARVICK WINS AND FORD SWEEPS SEASON AT MICHIGAN

Posted on: August 13th, 2018
Location: post

BROOKLYN, MI – August 13, 2018 – Kevin Harvick, in the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) No.4 Ford Fusion reached Victory Lane for the seventh time this year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). Harvick swept the Consumer Energy 400 on Sunday with the flawless execution of the No. 4 team, to mark Ford’s 38th win at Michigan and 668 all-time Cup win.
“Congratulations to Kevin, Tony, Gene and the Stewart-Haas organization on the seventh points win of the season,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Kevin and the team ran an unbelievable race. It’s been a great week here in Michigan with the reveal of the 2019 NASCAR Ford Mustang and now to win the 400 and retain the Heritage trophy for Ford Motor Co., it’s just a special deal. Our team, back at Roush Yates Engines, is very proud to be part of this partnership and continue to push toward the Playoffs.”
Harvick started the Consumer Energy 400 in the second row, but it didn’t take long for him to make his charge to the front. After a mid-stage restart, Harvick seized the opportunity to take the lead and set himself up to win the first Stage of the race.
The No. 4 SHR team executed the game plan perfectly to help put Harvick in position to take the Stage 2 win, on his way to leading 108 out of the 200-lap race and take the checkered flag 3.233-second over Ford teammate Brad Keselowski.

Harvick made it back-to-back wins at Michigan International Speedway for SHR, following teammate Clint Bowyer’s win in the Spring.

“Keelan is saving me some work,” said Harvick in Victory Lane. “Usually when I get home the next day we have to mock up a victory lane celebration. For him to be here and able to do that and be a part of NASCAR and bring your son to work and do all the things that we get to do with our kids, I have had him with me by myself the last three weeks and we have had a ball. I couldn’t be happier to be a dad and be a part of NASCAR where they let your family come to the race track and be a part of it.”
Harvick now leads the driver Playoff points standings with 40 points, five points over Kurt Busch in second.

In total six Ford’s finished in the Top-10; Harvick (P1), Keselowski (P2), Ryan Blaney (P5), Kurt Busch (P6), Aric Almirola (P7), and Joey Logano (P10).
On Saturday, at the Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course, Austin Cindric in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang won his second pole of the year and 10th for Roush Yates Engines this season.

Cindric led a total of 59 out of the 75-lap race and finished second with Ford teammates Cole Custer from SHR finishing seventh and Ryan Reed from Roush Fenway Racing tenth.
This coming weekend, NASCAR heads back to Bristol, Tennessee for the second time this season, while the Ford Performance IMSA teams’ race for their fifth straight WeatherTech Sportscar Championship win at VIR and their WEC teammates get back to the track in the U.K for the Six Hours of Silverstone. Reference the full 2018 schedule on Roush Yates Engines.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 342 WINS – 307 POLES!
*Images courtesy of NASCAR Media

FORD WEC CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLES RESUMES AT SILVERSTONE: VIDEO

Posted on: August 14th, 2018
Location: post

 

GREATWORTH, U.K. – The 2018-19 WEC Super Season resumes this weekend and the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team is ready to continue the fight for top honours in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Round 3 takes place at the world-famous Silverstone Circuit, just a few miles from Greatworth Park where the team is based, making this the home event.

The team expected fierce competition in the GTE Pro class at Le Mans and that is precisely what they got.

“The competition in GTE Pro is exceptionally strong – we saw that at Spa and Le Mans,” said team principal George Howard-Chappell. “The guys with the new cars are sure to be improving and we already know how competitive Porsche and Ferrari are. We booked a test a month before the race and were joined by two of the other manufacturers, so at least three of us have an idea of what to expect given the new track surface. Ideally we would like to continue the winning streak that our sister team in the USA have been having but let’s see. We will be going flat out for sure and I’m confident the track layout suits our car.”

The #66 Ford GT of Stefan Mücke (GER), Olivier Pla (FRA) and Billy Johnson (US) came out on top of the Ford WEC runners at Le Mans, with a sixth place finish earning them the points for a third place finish in the WEC standings. With a win in the opening round at Spa, Mücke and Pla are now in second place in the Driver’s Championship battle, just eight points behind the leaders. Now that Le Mans is done for 2018, both #66 and #67 drop to the usual two-driver crews for the next few races.

“It was important for us to take as many points as possible at Le Mans,” Mücke said. “The competition was very strong, especially from Porsche, so I’m pleased that we are in second with everything to fight for. Our target is to win the championship so we need to keep scoring maximum points and a win at Silverstone would be particularly special for the team as it is the home race.

“Silverstone has always been the first round in the past so it’s good to go and race there in the summer this time. We tested there a few weeks ago and the circuit has new asphalt, which is going to make it very interesting. Everything you learnt about the track in the past, forget it! There is a lot more grip, which is a good thing, but it is also very aggressive asphalt so tyre management will be crucial this weekend if we want to stay in the game.”

Andy Priaulx (GB), Harry Tincknell (GB) and Tony Kanaan (BRA) took a hard fought fourth place in class at Le Mans but were demoted after the race due to a driving time infringement. The British duo, who won the 2017 WEC round at Silverstone, are eager to collect a good haul of points this weekend.

“A repeat of last year when we took pole position, fastest lap and the win, would be very nice,” Tincknell said. “We’ve had a tough start to our season. We were going well at Spa until the accident and then we had a good race at Le Mans, fighting hard all the way through with no issues other than a short fill which took us out of contention for third and then the post-race penalty. It means we are well down the championship table so we need to just go for outright wins now, hopefully starting at Silverstone. We had a great test there not long ago and we look reasonably strong. This race is going to be all about tyre life due to the combination of the new abrasive surface and the high speed nature of Silverstone. With only four sets of tyres for six hours of racing that is going to be the key. The Ford GT has good aero efficiency and we look after our tyres well so hopefully that’s an advantage for us. Let’s hope the home support will cheer us on to another win.”

*Courtesy Ford Performance

 

FORD SWEEPS BRISTOL | WINNING FUSION’S 100th CUP RACE

Posted on: August 20th, 2018
Location: post

BRISTOL, TN – August 20, 2018 – Kurt Busch, driving the No.41 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) Ford Fusion, won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this season, in a Saturday night thriller in Bristol, Tennessee. Busch recorded his 30th career Cup win and the Ford Fusion’s milestone 100th race win.
“Congratulations to Ford on the Fusion’s 100th Cup win, and to Kurt, Gene and Tony on an impressive race,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Kurt and the Stewart-Haas team earned every bit of that win tonight. Congratulations to Ryan and Joey on their Stage wins. That really helped set the tone for the night. It’s been a total team effort all year with Ford Performance and it showed tonight as the Ford teams were battling for the lead.”
In a classic battle in the Thunder Valley, Busch raced against SHR teammate, Clint Bowyer to take the lead during a late race restart, only to have the ninth caution of the race come out with 13 laps remaining. Busch showed his grit and determination, as he got a great restart and held off a hard charging Kyle Larson, on fresher tires, to take the checkered flag and win Ford’s 11th points race of the season.
“It’s awesome to do it at Bristol. I love this place,” Busch commented in Victory Lane. “We now have won six times here and I have great teams that have always helped me win. This group of guys, Billy Scott, my crew chief, this is his first win and to be able to do it with Ford and Monster and Haas Automation is just what it’s all about is executing as a team and we had good restarts when we had to, and then you’ve got to get clever and start throwing everything at it.”
Ford Performance teams ran strong all night with a total of six drivers leading a race high 370 laps out of the 500-lap race. Race winner Busch led the final 24 laps of the race while Ford teammate Ryan Blaney (Stage 1 winner) led 121 laps and Bowyer led 120 laps. In addition, Stage 2 winner, Joey Logano led 95 laps.
Five Ford’s finished in the Top-10; Busch (P1), Logano (P4), Bowyer (P6), Blaney (P7), Kevin Harvick (P10). In addition, Roush Fenway Racing, Trevor Bayne finished a season high P11.
Ford has six drivers locked into playoff positions with just two races left before the Playoffs start at Las Vegas. Harvick leads the Playoff field in the number one position with 40 points. SHR teammates Bowyer and Busch follow in fourth and fifth respectively, while Team Penske driver Logano sits in sixth, Blaney in tenth and Brad Keselowski in eleventh.
MENCS will take a break this coming weekend as the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to take on the four-mile Road America road course. Reference the full 2018 schedule on  Roush Yates Engines.

In addition, Roush Yates Engines has achieved a new overall milestone of 30 wins on the season, exceeding its previous total from 2017. This milestone is an accumulation of wins across NASCAR, IMSA and FIA Series.
14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 343 WINS – 309 POLES!
*Images courtesy of NASCAR Media