Archive for December, 2018

NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON!

Posted on: December 12th, 2018
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2018 | A Season to Remember

MOORESVILLE, NC – December 12, 2018 – The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season will go down in history as one of our most memorable seasons while partnering with Ford to capture the drivers’, owners’, and manufacturers’ championship titles and winning the MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year award.
At the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, Joey Logano became the 33rd driver to be crowned the champion in NASCAR’s top division.
“Congratulations to Edsel, Mark, Joey, Roger, and the entire Ford organization on an outstanding year,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “It was an incredible season, to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’, Owners’ and Manufacturers’ Championship titles in the same season is a remarkable accomplishment. Without the hard work and dedication of our 180 passionate employees, these championships would not have been possible. We’re blessed to partner with Ford and provide the horsepower for Ford Performance teams. It’s also, a great honor to be recognized by MAHLE as the engine builder of the year in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.”

Ford Performance and the combined efforts of six premier Ford NASCAR teams; Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Go Fas won a combined record breaking 19 point races, 15 poles, and 3 championships. In addition, to winning the All-Star race and the Daytona Clash, these combined teams led over half the laps raced in the 2018 season. Leading a total 5,954 laps over 41 race events.

In case you missed any of the action, here’s a rewind of some of our most memorable moments.

Joey Logano’s first championship title was punctuated with becoming only the eighth driver to win a MENCS championship with Ford and win the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Kevin Harvick and the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford Fusion tied for the most wins during the 2018 season with eight. Harvick’s Playoff win at Texas Motor Speedway topped off his career best year.
Logano secured his place in the Championship Playoffs by winning his third race of the year at Martinsville Speedway.
We saw the Ford Fusions sweep Talladega in the 2018 season. Logano won the Spring race, while the No. 10 of Aric Almirola made a statement at Talladega Superspeedway in the Fall, by winning his first Talladega Cup race. This marked Ford’s seventh straight restrictor-plate race win at the coveted speedway and put a record fourth SHR driver into the playoffs.
Ryan Blaney won the inaugural running of the 2018 Charlotte Roval, marking his second career Cup win and first win since becoming a full-time driver at Team Penske.
It was a September to remember for Brad Keselowski and Roger Penske, winning three straight at Darlington Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then the Playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, winning Roger Penske’s 500th career win.
Kurt Busch also had an award-winning year, winning the 2018 Pole Winner Award for a season high five poles, in addition to capturing his 30th career win at Bristol.
We saw SHR sweep the Michigan 400’s with Clint Bowyer winning the summer event and teammate Harvick sealing the deal in the fall to keep the famed Heritage trophy in Dearborn at Ford Motor Company headquarters.
Harvick would win his sixth points paying race of the season in Loudon, New Hampshire.
In turn, Harvick dominated the month of May, winning the AAA 400 Drive for Autism in Dover, the KS Masterpiece 400 at Kansas Speedway, and finished by winning a $1,000,000 in the Charlotte All-Star race.
Bowyer won his first race at Martinsville Speedway in the Spring, leading a race high 215 laps in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500.
It was Harvick that launched the 2018 Championship season by winning three consecutive races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and ISM Raceway.
The 2018 season marked the final year for the Ford Fusion in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and what a year it has been. The Fusion became Ford’s flagship model for the series in 2006 and went on to win 108 races during its 13-year run.

In addition, the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season concluded with Stewart-Haas Racing winning the Xfinity Owners’ Championship title by Tony Stewart, Gene Haas and the No. 00 of Cole Custer.
The Ford Xfinity teams recorded 14 poles and nine wins by seven different drivers throughout the 33-race season.

23 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 354 WINS – 320 POLES!
* Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media