Archive for October, 2018

FORD SWEEPS FIRST ROVAL EVENT AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Posted on: October 1st, 2018
Location: post

CHARLOTTE, NC – October 1, 2018 – Ryan Blaney made history on Sunday, becoming the first ever winner of the inaugural running of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, road course race. The No. 12 Team Penske Ford Fusion won his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race in the Bank of America Roval 400 and clinched a spot in the NACAR Round of 12.
“Congratulations to Roger, Ryan, Team Penske, and Ford Performance for winning the first ever Roval race and advancing to the second round in the Playoffs,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This has been an unbelievable weekend for our team, with Kurt (Busch) and Austin (Cindric) winning the pole events and Chase (Briscoe) winning his first career NASCAR Xfinity race on Saturday. Congratulations to the all the guys and the teams. Outstanding job!”
In a wild unpredictable race to the finish, Team Penske driver Blaney looked like he would finish third, but a late race incident on the front chicane opened the door for the No. 12 Ford Mustang to take the black and white checkered flag to win his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the year and first Playoff race. Blaney was followed by Ford Performance teammates Clint Bowyer in third and Kurt Busch in fifth.
“We put ourselves in a spot to be there,” commented Blaney in Victory Lane. “We did a great job all day of winning a stage and putting us in a good spot for points. Things just kind of kept building and building where all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘OK, we’re lining up.’ We had to pit early to stay with the 88 and we were kind of 15th or something and it was like, ‘OK, we lined up 15th. OK, we’re sixth. And now we’re third and we’ve got a shot to win this race.’  It just worked out for us.”
Five different Ford drivers led a race total of 56 laps out of the 109-lap race, starting with pole winner, Busch leading the first seven laps of the race. Brad Keselowski led a Ford high 29 laps, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard both led a pair.
In addition, all seven Ford drivers advance to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Ford drivers are led by Kevin Harvick in P2, Keselowski P4, Bowyer P5, Joey Logano P6, Busch P7, Blaney P8 and Aric Almirola advances in P11.
Ford Development Driver, Chase Briscoe became the first NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) driver to win the inaugural Xfinity race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval course. Briscoe recorded his first NXS career win and the second for the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford Mustang on Saturday afternoon.
“I don’t feel like I drove a perfect race, but these guys gave me a perfect race car,” Briscoe commented. “That’s what it’s all about. Ford has given me so many opportunities and put me in good race cars and obviously Stewart-Haas is one of the best.”
After qualifying ninth and moving up through the field, an epic battle unfolded in the final stage of the Drive for the Cure 200, when a caution came out for the fifth and final time of the race. Briscoe restarted on the inside of the front row with 11 laps to go. The No. 98 got a great restart and took the lead from Daniel Hemric and led the final 11 laps of the race (24 laps in total).

This marks the third time this season that Ford has swept an NXS & MENCS race weekend, following Phoenix and Darlington.
Fellow, Ford Driver Development teammate, Austin Cindric started from the pole and led 13 out of the 55-lap race to finish third. In all, Ford Performance had four drivers finish in the top-10 positions as Cole Custer finished seventh and Kaz Grala eighth. Ryan Reed just missed out as he finished eleventh.
Three Ford Performance teammates have their sights set on advancing to the Round of 8 after Dover. Current driver leaderboard standings; Custer P4, Cindric P9, and Reed in P11.

NASCAR heads to Dover this weekend in pursuit of playoff positions.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 349 WINS – 313 POLES!
*Images courtesy of NASCAR Media and Ford Performance

TITLE WITHIN SIGHT FOR FORD CHIP GANASSI RACING AS IMSA SEASON REACHES END AT PETIT LE MANS

Posted on: October 11th, 2018
Location: post

BRASELTON, Ga., Oct. 11, 2018–The suspense will be over soon for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing and the other IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams still in contention for 2018 championship and Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup (TPNAEC) titles.

After leading the GTLM standings for much of the year, Ford CGR enters Petit Le Mans as the underdog, even after all but securing the manufacturer’s title for Ford.

The No. 67 duo of Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook are second in the driver and team standings, nine points behind the leaders, entering the 10-hour Petit Le Mans, the final race of the season.

Briscoe and Westbrook combined to earn three wins (Rolex 24, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Road America) and two poles (Watkins Glen, VIR) so far this year.

“We’ve fallen a bit behind on the points, but we can still win it and we have one goal, to go out and win the race and see where the points fall at the end of it,” Briscoe said. “It’s an important race to win no matter where you are in the championship, so you’re going to have everyone gunning for the win. It’s always an exciting race, one of my favorites.”

The championship hopes of the No. 66 Ford GT driver team of Joey Hand and Dirk Müller were ended at Laguna Seca, when Müller was collected in a prototype accident at the drop of the green flag. They are still in contention for the TPNAEC crown with third driver Sébastien Bourdais, as are Briscoe, Westbrook and 2018 Indy Car Champion, Scott Dixon.

“We’re not really able to win the overall championship at this point, but (Petit Le Mans is) a race I haven’t won before personally,” Hand said. “It would be great for me to put on the list with the other endurance races. It’s the last big one I haven’t won. For me, it’s a big deal. On top of that, going after TPNAEC, we’ll put a little more focus on the stage points and see if we can put ourselves in the position to get the right points at the right times. Not having to worry about the main championship, we can put a little more focus on that.”

The No. 66 Ford GT team has a four-point lead in the TPNAEC, with the No. 67 in third, five points behind. Ford has a five-point lead in the TPNAEC manufacturer’s title chase that awards the best-performing teams in IMSA’s endurance races (Daytona/Sebring/Watkins Glen/Petit Le Mans).

“This is a tough race,” Hand said. “Petit Le Mans is one of those where it’s only 10 hours, but it always ends up being a really crazy race. It’s just the nature of the Road Atlanta track. You don’t have a lot of room, you’re fighting other cars, you finish in the dark, guys are doing crazy things. It’s not an easy race to finish. You have to first find a way to finish, then you might have a chance to win it.”

If Ford CGR crosses the starting line, the IMSA GTLM manufacturer’s title will be won for Ford.

“I don’t think anyone at Ford CGR is giving up the fight quite yet. It’ll go down to the wire,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “It’s been quite a season for the Ford GT and the team and all of our partners, and we’re looking forward to seeing the conclusion!”

The green flag drops for Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on Oct. 13, 2018. The race will be broadcasted inside the U.S. on FOX Sports 1 and 2, starting at 10:30 a.m. ET, and outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv.

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

FAST FORDS AT TALLADEGA AS ALMIROLA WINS

Posted on: October 15th, 2018
Location: post

TALLADEGA, AL – October 15, 2018 – Aric Almirola won for the second time in his career and first time in the No.10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion to automatically advance to the Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Almirola’s win continued Ford’s winning streak at Talladega, recording their seventh in a row at the SuperSpeedway. It was also SHR’s milestone 50th points-paying MENCS win and its first victory at Talladega.
“I’m so happy for Aric, Tony and SHR,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “They executed their plan perfectly today. I’m just so proud of all the hard work at Ford Performance, all the things that Mark Rushbrook is doing leading our group, and everybody at Roush Yates Engines and the dedication they put into the plate racing here at Talladega and when we go to Daytona. It takes a total team effort and I’m just proud to be part of the team. It’s an incredible day here at Talladega. My dad loved racing here. We raced here together a lot and it kind of started back when we had Davey Allison as our driver in the 28 car. It was interesting, I asked Aric yesterday I said, ‘Maybe we should put a 28 on the side of this car.’ I thought he was gonna win the race and I asked him if he’d mind to carry that 28 to Victory Lane today and to be here with him is amazing. I’m trying to carry on what my dad, Robert Yates started, and our family tradition of plate racing and just really proud to have my daughter Olivia here with me today and carrying on the family tradition. What a way to win our company’s 350th overall win.”
The power of the Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines powered Ford Fusions made a statement in Talladega, after qualifying 1-2-3-4 and leading 184 total laps (489 miles) out of a 193-lap overtime race on Sunday.
“We came and brought four amazing racecars,” Almirola commented in Victory Lane.  “As an organization, we were so committed to each other about running up front, staying up front, scoring as many points as we can, and staying committed to the bottom lane, to each other. I feel like that strategy, honestly, was what obviously won us the race. I think our cars were so fast that as long as we stayed single file, all four of us lined up, nobody could get that outside lane working to go up there and challenge us.”
Stewart-Haas Racing teammates hooked up and showed great disciple to lead the field for all but 2 laps during the first two stages of the race. Pole and Stage 1 winner, Kurt Busch lead the field for 108 laps while teammate Kevin Harvick led 46 laps on his way to winning Stage 2.
“I want to thank everybody from the engine department at Roush Yates for all the work and effort that they put into everything that goes on the race track,” said Harvick. “This is all about cars and people and engines and everything that goes and when you can have a group of guys that work together like we did today, you can control the situation in the race a lot more than just battling it out amongst each other. I’m really, really happy for Aric. He works his butt off. Those guys have done a great job all year and to see them get to Victory Lane is a lot of fun.”
A late race caution caused the race to go into overtime, the additional laps caused fuel challenges for Harvick, Blaney and Busch as they ran out of fuel during the last laps of the race, shuffling the field on the final two laps of the race.

It was a 1, 2, 3, & 5 finish for Ford; SHR teammates Almirola and Clint Bowyer finished 1-2 while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. from Roush Fenway Racing drove up through the field to finish third. Team Penske’s Joey Logano finished fifth and Wood Brother’s Racing, Paul Menard finished ninth.
Kansas will be the next cutoff race for MENCS. The Ford drivers are currently in P1 Almirola, P3 Harvick, P5 Logano, P6 Kurt Busch, P7 Bowyer, P9 Brad Keselowski and P10 Ryan Blaney.

19 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 350 WINS – 314 POLES!
*Photo courtesy of NASCAR Media

CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING SEASON FOR FORD

Posted on: October 15th, 2018
Location: post

BRASELTON, GA – October 15, 2018 – Ford wins the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Manufacturers’ Championship title. It has been a tremendous year for Ford Performance, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team and Roush Yates Engines.

The combined efforts of the No. 66 team of Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais, along with the No. 67 team of Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon won five out of 11 GTLM races and four poles during the 2018 season on the way to clinching Ford’s first Manufacturer’s title at Petit Le Mans this weekend.

In addition, the team also celebrated winning the Tequila Pátron North American Endurance Cup Driver, Team and Manufacturers’ titles. This title highlights the four major endurance races on the 2018 schedule; Rolex 24 At Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans.

“Congratulations to Ford, Edsel, Chip and all the Ford teams,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “It has been a phenomenal season and to win the Manufacturers’ Championship titles with the Ford GT and GT4, along with the Patron Endurance Championship titles is what our teams have worked so hard for. It’s a testament to the collective team’s dedication and teamwork. We’re blessed to partner with Ford and provide the horsepower to these great programs.”

After starting the season with a 1-2 finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the teams went on to win a string of four straight races; Watkins Glen, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock and Road America.

Rolex 24 At Daytona – Daytona Beach, FL – No. 67 Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and 2018 Indy Car Champion, Scott Dixon.
Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen – Watkins Glen, NY – No. 66 Joey Hand and Dirk Müller.
Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix – Bowmanville, ON – No. 67 Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook.
Northeast Grand Prix – Lakeville, CT – Hand and Müller.
Continental Tire Road Race Showcase – Elkhart Lake, WI – Briscoe and Westbrook.
Ford and the Ford Mustang GT4 teams, powered by the Ford Mustang 5.2L V8, also earned the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Grand Sport Manufacturers’ title on Friday night at Road Atlanta.
Three different Ford Mustang GT4s won a total of five races in 2018; Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports won three while Multimatic Motorsports and VOLT Racing both won one a piece.

Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 – Sebring, FL – No. 60 Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports, Nate Stacy and Kyle Marcelli.
Mid-Ohio 120 – Lexington, OH – No. 60 Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports, Stacy and Marcelli.
Continental Tire 240 at the Glen, Watkins Glen, NY – No. 8 Multimatic Motorsports, Chad McCumbee and Patrick Gallagher.
Canadian Tire Motorsports Park 120, Bowmanville, Ontario – No. 60 Roush Performance/KohR Motorsports, Stacy and Marcelli.
Road America 120, Elkhart Lake, WI – No. 7 VOLT Racing, Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman, won their first GS class race.
The teams will take this momentum as the turn to prepare for the 2019 season, starting with ROAR in Daytona on January 4th.

19 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 350 WINS – 314 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of Ford Performance

ROUSH YATES ENGINES CELEBRATES ITS 350th ALL-TIME RACE WIN!

Posted on: October 15th, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – October 15, 2018 – Aric Almirola’s win at the Talladega SuperSpeedway on Sunday, marked Roush Yates Engines’ 350th all-time race win, since its formation in 2004.

Here’s a look back at a few Victory Lane memories.

Roush Yates Engines’ first NASCAR win as Ford Performance’s exclusive engine builder, Matt Kenseth with Roush Fenway Racing on February, 22, 2004 in the Subway 400 in Rockingham, NC.

January 29, 2012, Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series podium sweep of the Rolex 24 at Daytona (DP Class). No. 60 P1 (John Pew/Oswaldo Negri Jr./AJ Allmendinger/Justin Wilson), No. 8 P2 (Enzo Potolicchio/Ryan Dalziel/Alex Popow/Lucas Luhr/Allan McNishand), and No. 6 P3 (Michael McDowell/Felipe Nasr/Jorge Goncalvez/Gustavo Yacaman).

First win with Ford Performance and the Ford FR9 EFI engine, Matt Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing, February 27, 2012, Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Front Row Motorsports and David Ragan’s first win together, May, 5th, 2013 in Talladega, Alabama in the Aarron’s 399.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. first career Cup Series win with Roush Fenway Racing on May, 7th, 2017 in the Geico 500, Talladega, Alabama.

Pocono 400, Ryan Blaney’s first Cup Series win and 99th Wood Brother’s Racing win in Pocono, Pennsylvania, June 11, 2017.

24 Hours of Le Mans 1-2 Ford GT podium finish. The No. 68 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team of Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, Sébastien Bourdais drove the Ford GT supercar to the victory circle fifty years after Ford’s legendary 1966 victory on June 19th, 2016. Teammates Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon joined them on the podium.

Multimatic Motorsports team of Billy Johnson and Scott Maxwell, in the No. 15 Ford Shelby GT350R-C clinched the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Driver, Team and Manufacturers Championships by winning at Road Atlanta in October 2016.

Chase Briscoe, in the No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford truck, won his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on November 17, 2017 at the Miami-Homestead Speedway.

The No. 00, Cole Custer from Stewart-Haas Racing won his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race on November 18, 2017 at the Miami-Homestead Speedway.

Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing won their sixth race of the 2018 season at Kansas Speedway on May 12th in the KS Masterpiece in Kansas City.

Roush Yates Engines and Ford Performance won their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 together at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Brad Keselowski and Team Penske on September 10th, 2018.

On September 16th, 2018, Roush Yates Engines celebrated with Team Penske and the entire Penske organization as Brad Keselowski won Roger Penske’s 500th race win in Las Vegas, NV winning the South Point 400.

*Images courtesy NASCAR Media and Ford Performance.

ATLAS COPCO BECOMES OFFICIAL COMPRESSED AIR PARTNER OF ROUSH YATES ENGINES

Posted on: October 23rd, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – October 23, 2018 – Atlas Copco Compressors, a leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions, and Roush Yates Engines announced a newly formed partnership, naming Atlas Copco the official compressed air provider of Roush Yates Engines.

Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a division of Roush Yates Engines, has expanded into a new 88,000-square-foot CNC machining facility and worked with Atlas Copco to determine the most efficient and productive air compressor system to support the new facility. It was a natural fit with Atlas Copco Compressors, headquartered in South Carolina.
“We are proud to have Atlas Copco as our partner,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO, Roush Yates Engines. “Atlas Copco not only provides premium products and services but is also a leader in innovation. By supplying quality compressed air with the latest technology, it allows our facility to operate in the most energy efficient manner possible while reducing overall environmental noise pollution, which is a true win-win.”

With over 140 years of experience, Atlas Copco is globally recognized as a leader in innovation and manufacturer of premium compressed air products. Atlas Copco engineers consistently develop world-class products and services that truly create advantages for their customers and the environment.

“Our new Atlas Copco compressors arrived in perfect condition and ready to work,” commented Jeff Smith, Building Supervisor, Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions. “Installation was simple, and the integration and communications between the compressors in the installation are superior to any other set-up I have worked with. The Atlas Copco service technicians are second to none. Their attention to detail, product knowledge, professionalism and willingness to answer our questions are top notch.”

Atlas Copco’s product innovation is the result of hard work, dedicated strategies and meaningful interaction with all customers. Understanding the customer’s needs and operating environment is key for Atlas Copco to develop and map out the perfect solution for any customer. To meet customer needs, Atlas Copco has developed a comprehensive selection of products, from compressors to vacuums pumps, blowers, quality air solutions and gas generation systems.

“We are very excited to announce our partnership with Roush Yates Engines. Our companies are truly aligned by our core values of innovation, commitment and interaction,” said Robert Eshelman, President and General Manager, Atlas Copco Compressors LLC. “The automotive industry is always evolving and an important sector for Atlas Copco. This partnership bears testament to our commitment to customers in this industry and all across the United States.”

Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers through its innovative compressors, vacuum solutions, generators, pumps, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and services focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2017, Atlas Copco (excluding Epiroc AB) had revenues of BSEK 86 (BEUR 9) and about 34,000 employees.

Atlas Copco Compressors LLC is part of the Compressor Technique Business Area, headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Atlas Copco Compressors provides innovative solutions including world-class compressors, vacuum pumps, air blowers, quality air products and gas generation systems, all backed with full service, remote monitoring and auditing services.
With a nationwide service and distribution network, Atlas Copco Compressors is your local, national and global partner for all your compressed air needs.

KEN BLOCK AND TOYO TIRES PRESENT THE HOONITRUCK! THE ALL-NEW, MOST UNIQUE ALL WHEEL-DRIVE RACE TRUCK OF ALL TIME

Posted on: October 24th, 2018
Location: post

LONG BEACH, CA – October 24, 2018 – Ahead of his upcoming GYMKHANA TEN, Ken Block, in association with Toyo Tires, is pleased to present to the world his latest, mind-blowing custom Gymkhana vehicle build: The Hoonitruck!

Created partially out of Block’s general love for trucks (a man who has daily-driven a Ford Raptor since 2010 and in general thinks trucks are rad) and partially as a bit of a tribute to his late father due to the fact that he grew up cutting his teeth with this era of Ford F-150—Block’s father had the exact same base truck back in the day, which Block learned how to drive on when he was 15 years old and then used when he’d go racing dirt bikes as a teen.

Based on a 1977 Ford F-150, Block’s Hoonitruck is powered by a custom-tuned Ford Performance V6 EcoBoost engine lifted directly out of the Ford Performance Ford GT Le Mans development program. Making 914hp at 7,400rpm and 702 ft-lbs at 6,450 rpm, the engine is a snarling, billet-aluminum menace, sounding like nothing you’ve ever heard in a Gymkhana video before.

The power is routed to all four wheels via a Sadev 6-speed all wheel-drive gearbox (similar to the one used in Block’s Hoonicorn). Chassis, bodywork and fabrication was all handled by Detroit Speed, in Mooresville, NC, with the overall design and styling of the project dictated by Block and his team at Hoonigan.

In addition to the above, the Hoonitruck also features some direct tie-ins to current Ford F-150 products. The vehicle features hand-shaped aluminum bodywork (identical to the military-grade aluminum that Ford uses currently) Ford Pass remote start integration and even a functional backup camera/tow hitch setup.

“This project has been in the works for about 2 years,” said Block. “I’m beyond pleased with how it turned out, it’s simply one of the most badass and unique vehicles I’ve seen in a long time and I think it compliments my Hoonicorn perfectly. It’s also crazy to be throwing something around that’s this size when doing Gymkhana-style driving. But, it looks absolutely wild on camera, and that was our goal from the start. I can’t wait for the fans to be able to see it in action, I think they’re gonna love it!”

For those that want to be among the first to see the Hoonitruck in person, it will be on static display at the Toyo Tires booth #62122 at SEMA in Las Vegas this year. It will also be shown in more detail during Block’s upcoming Amazon Prime Video series, The Gymkhana Files where there will be some behind-the-scenes action of the fabrication process, testing and ultimately, filming in GYMKHANA TEN. Block’s GYMKHANA TEN drops as an early exclusive on Amazon Prime Video on December 7th, followed by a global release on Hoonigan’s YouTube channel December 17th.

STATS

  • 1977 Ford F-150
  • 3.5 liter Ford Performance/Roush Yates EcoBoost V6
  • 914 horsepower, 702 lb-ft of torque
  • Chassis design, engineering and bodywork by Detroit Speed Engineering
  • Hand-hammered military-grade aluminum bodywork
  • Styling by Block and his team at Hoonigan
  • Custom 20-inch fifteen52 Turbomac HD wheels
  • Toyo Tires Proxes ST III

*Courtesy Ford Performance

LOGANO MOVES ONTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4!

Posted on: October 29th, 2018
Location: post

MARTINSVILLE, VA – October 29, 2018 – Joey Logano clinched the first spot in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, by winning the First Data 500 in Martinsville, Virginia on Sunday. The win marked Logano’s first win at Martinsville and 20th career Cup victory.
“Congratulations to Joey, Roger, and Team Penske” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Joey and the crew battled hard all day and with a great team effort by the No.22 crew, put Joey in an excellent position to win. We are glad to be in a position to race for the Championship for Ford.”
The Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines powered Ford Fusions led the most laps of all manufacturers for a total of 351 laps out of the 500-lap race. Logano led the field with 309 laps and collected the Stage 2 win on his way to winning his second race of the season.

“That was just a hard-great race,” commented Logano in Victory Lane. “NASCAR racing at its finest. Now the next two weeks we think about Miami and nothing else. We have to go there and be ready and be prepared for it. One step at a time. We are going to enjoy this moment first and then we will worry about Miami tomorrow.”

A late race caution, on lap 462, brought a majority of the field into the pits. The fast work of the No.22 crew put Logano out first, ahead of the No. 18 Kyle Busch. Logano launched the No.22, with a strong restart, to take the lead. Logano held the lead, fighting off stiff competition from teammate Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr.  In an all-out drag race to the finish, the No. 22 took the checkered flag ahead of Danny Hamlin and Truex.
It was four Fords finishing in the top-10 of the First Data 500. Team Penske’s Logano race winning effort was followed by teammate Keselowski in fifth and Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kurt Busch in sixth and Kevin Harvick tenth.
Going into the mile and a half track of Texas Motor Speedway the Ford drivers line up in P1 Logano, P4 Harvick, P5 Busch, P7 Clint Bowyer, and P8 Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Playoff Driver Standings.  The NASCAR MENCS, Xfinity, and Camping World Truck Series all return to action at Texas Motor Speedway this upcoming weekend.

19 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 351 WINS – 315 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media

NASCAR HEADS TO TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Posted on: October 31st, 2018
Location: post

FORT WORTH, TX – October 31, 2018 – All three of NASCAR’s top touring series will be in action this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as the Playoffs hit high gear in the next-to-last round.  Here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand going into each event, in addition to some memorable Cup moments through the years.

ROUND OF 8 MENCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 Advance After Phoenix)
1st – Joey Logano (locked in to Championship 4)
4th – Kevin Harvick (+25 ahead of cutoff)
5th – Kurt Busch (-25 from final transfer spot)
7th – Clint Bowyer (-42 from final transfer spot)
8th – Aric Almirola (-50 from final transfer spot)

ROUND OF 8 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 Advance After Phoenix)
7th – Cole Custer (-23 from final transfer spot)
8th – Austin Cindric (-43 from final transfer spot)

ROUND OF 6 NCWTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 Advance After Phoenix)
4th – Grant Enfinger (+2 ahead of cutoff)
6th – Matt Crafton (-10 from final transfer spot)

FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT TMS

  • Ford is tied for the most all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at TMS with 13.
  • Joey Logano (2014) and Kevin Harvick (2017) have Ford wins at the track.
  • Jack Roush is tied for the most wins among car owners at TMS with nine.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT TMS

  • Ford leads all manufacturers with 12 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at TMS.
  • Six current Ford Cup drivers have at least one NXS win at TMS (Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne and Kurt Busch).
  • Mark Martin won the first NXS race at Texas and leads Ford with three series victories overall.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SERIES AT TMS

  • Ford has 3 series wins at TMS.
  • Kenny Irwin Jr. won the first series event held at TMS in 1997.
  • Ford’s last series victory at TMS came by Greg Biffle in 2000.

17 WINS AND COUNTING…
Joey Logano’s dramatic win Sunday at Martinsville is the 17th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win for Ford, making it the third-best season in terms of victory in the modern era (1972-present).  Only the 20 wins in 1994 and the 19 victories in 1997 are better than what has been accomplished so far in 2018.

FORD WINS – SEASON
20 – 1994 (31 races)
19 – 1997 (32 races)
17 – 2018 (Through 33 races)
16 – 1992 (29 races)
16 – 2005 (36 races)
15 – 1998 (33 races)

PLAYOFF WIN SENT HARVICK TO CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR
One year ago when NASCAR came to Texas Motor Speedway it saw Kevin Harvick pass Martin Truex Jr. with 10 laps remaining to win and advance to the Championship Four.  The Playoff race was Harvick’s first Cup victory at the speedway in 30 starts and his second since he and Stewart-Haas Racing joined Ford at the start of 2017.

LAST LAP PASS LEADS LOGANO TO VICTORY
Joey Logano’s first Cup win at TMS came in 2014 in a race that was delayed until Monday because of rain.  Logano dominated much of the second half, but a caution with two laps to go forced a green-white-checker finish.  He started third on the restart after the leaders stopped on pit road, and was able to get past Jeff Gordon on the final lap to claim victory.  Logano led 108 of the final 116 laps to claim the first of five wins that season.

A TEXAS TWO-FIRST
A couple of firsts happened on April 6, 1997 as Texas Motor Speedway hosted its inaugural Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event and Jeff Burton took his first checkered flag. Burton, led by crew chief Buddy Parrott, passed Todd Bodine with 58 laps remaining and beat fellow Ford driver Dale Jarrett to the finish line by four seconds.  The race was slowed by 10 cautions, which included a multi-car accident in first turn of the first lap.  Burton went on to win 21 career series races with 17 of those coming in a Thunderbird or Taurus.

SADLER WINS FIRST RACE WITH RYR
Elliott Sadler passed Jeff Gordon with 27 laps remaining and then held off Kasey Kahne in the closing laps to win the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 on April 4, 2004.  Sadler, in his second season with Robert Yates Racing, hugged the inside lane over the final three laps as Kahne worked the outside.  When the two cars came off turn four for the final time, Sadler had a lapped car in front of him and that allowed Kahne to make one last charge.  Despite gaining crucial ground through the tri-oval, Kahne came up half-a-car length short as Sadler crossed the line first to gain his second of three career series wins.

FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TEXAS
1997 – Jeff Burton
1998 – Mark Martin
2001 – Dale Jarrett
2002 – Matt Kenseth
2004 – Elliott Sadler
2005 – Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards
2008 – Carl Edwards*
2011 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2012 – Greg Biffle (1)
2014 – Joey Logano (1)
2017 – Kevin Harvick (2)
* Denotes season sweep

 

*Courtesy Ford Performance