Archive for July, 2019

CUSTER WINS AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

Posted on: July 1st, 2019
Location: post
Joliet, IL – July 1, 2019 – Cole Custer won the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Camping World 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, as Ford Performance finishes 1-2. The No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang recorded its fourth win of the season and first win at Chicagoland.
“Congratulations to Cole, Tony, and Gene,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Cole ran another great race. He’s having a solid year with four wins and six poles heading into Daytona. Our guys at the shop and track continue to deliver powerful engines and we look forward to seeing these Fords back on the track this weekend.”
During qualifying on Saturday afternoon, the Ford Mustangs set the pace, as Joey Logano and Cole Custer made it an all Ford front row. Logano took the pole in his first NXS race this season.
After leading the field to green, No. 12 Logano pulled out ahead of the field. Within three laps, Custer was able to chase down the No. 12 to take the lead. The No. 00 proved his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang would be hard to pass as he won Stage 1, on his way to leading a race high 151 laps out of the 200-lap race. Followed by pole winner, Logano, who won Stage 2, led 21 laps, and finished the day in P2.
“I think we’re going to hit it this summer, we have some awesome cars,’’ Custer committed in post-race interview. “I don’t know how to get the car any better, I’m just lucky to drive it.’’

Custer moves up the NXS driver standings to P2 with 11 races to go until the NXS Playoffs start.
All four Fords finished the race. Following Custer and Logano was Austin Cindric P6, and Chase Briscoe P15 after a tire puncture, late in the race, set him back in the field.
After a rain delay start to the MENCS Camping World 400, three Fords finished in the top-10; Team Penske teammates Logano in P3, Brad Keselowski P5, and Ryan Blaney P6. The Ford Mustangs also led a combined 138 laps out of the 267-lap race, led by Kevin Harvick with a race high of 132 laps.
In addition, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team scored a third-place podium finish in Watkins Glen, NY. The No. 67 of Richard Westbrook & Ryan Briscoe finished on the podium, while teammates Joey Hand & Dirk Müller, drivers of the No. 66, finished P4.
NASCAR heads to Daytona to celebrate July 4th this weekend while IMSA heads to the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Reference the full 2019 schedule on www.roushyates.com.

23 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 363 WINS – 338 POLES!

Video | ATLAS COPCO : THE DRIVING FORCE

Posted on: July 2nd, 2019
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – July 2, 2019 – Atlas Copco Compressors, with over 140 years of experience, is a globally recognized leader of clean, dry compressed air, 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. The Atlas Copco Variable Speed Drive (VSD) system runs our 88,000 sq. ft. facility and 50 pieces of  CNC equipment seamlessly. This system enables us to run our business in the most energy efficient manner while reducing our overall environmental footprint.

“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 is a true win-win for Roush Yates Engines.”

*Video production by Chain Reaction Studios

COLE CUSTER WINS AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

Posted on: July 15th, 2019
Location: post
Sparta, KY – July 15, 2019 – Cole Custer won the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway and Ford Performance teammate Austin Cindric earned his first pole of the season. The No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang recorded its fifth win of the season and first win at Kentucky.
“Congratulations to Cole, Tony, and Gene,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Cole and the entire organization at Stewart-Haas Racing continue to put themselves in a position to win each weekend. Mike Shiplett and the No. 00 crew made some great adjustments to the car and were well prepared for the transition into the night.”
Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang came to life when the sun set and he passed his teammate Chase Briscoe on lap 111 for the lead. Cole dominated after this pass, leading 88 overall laps and crossed the finish line 1.651 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota. All three Ford Performance Mustangs finished the race. Following Custer was Briscoe in P5 while Cindric finished P14.
“This one just goes to my team,” Custer commented in post-race interview. “The car was unbelievable at the end. They knew exactly what to do with it when the track changed, and I was just lucky to drive it there at the end. I can’t thank Gene Haas and everybody at Haas Automation enough. You don’t get cars like that very often.”
Custer is currently P3 while, pole winner, Cindric is in P4, and Briscoe is P8 in NXS driver points standings with nine races to go until the NXS Playoffs start.
Daniel Suárez won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Suárez bested his teammate Aric Almirola for a SHR front row at Kentucky Speedway.  In the Quaker State 400, four Fords finished in the top-10; Clint Bowyer in P6, Joey Logano P7, Suárez in P8, and Ryan Newman in P9. The Ford Mustangs also led a combined 150 laps out of the 269-lap race, led by Suárez with 52 laps.
NASCAR heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend while IMSA heads to Lime Rock Park. Reference the full 2019 schedule on www.roushyates.com.

23 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 364 WINS – 341 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Aims for Second-Consecutive Overall Win at Lime Rock Park

Posted on: July 17th, 2019
Location: post

LIME ROCK, CT – July 17, 2019 – Last year, Dirk Müller watched co-driver Joey Hand close a 12-second gap in the final stint to send them to victory lane at Lime Rock Park – the first win for Ford GT at the storied Connecticut track.

It was the third-consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, the first overall win for the team at the all-GT category race and the reward after a weekend of making adjustments to the No. 66 Ford GT.

“That was quite a celebration for us,” Müller said. “We don’t often have the chance to get an overall win, so it was special. We worked hard for it. We qualified third, so we knew we might have a chance, but the crew worked on the set-up right up until the start of the race to get it just right.”

 Co-drivers Ryan Briscoe, of nearby Farmington, Conn. and Richard Westbrook finished sixth. They made the podium in 2016, finishing third after starting on pole.

“I look forward to this race because it’s my home track,” Briscoe said. “It’s always pretty busy in the paddock for me. I’d love to put the No. 67 Ford GT back on the podium for them.”

Müller is fifth in the championship points, while Hand is 11th after missing two races due to an illness. Briscoe and Westbrook are sixth. Hand and Müller wouldn’t mind a return trip to the top of the podium.

“I had to be really aggressive there at the end last year, but that’s what you have to do at Lime Rock,” Hand said. “I could tell I was closing in on the leader, so I kept pushing. There aren’t many corners at Lime Rock, but at the same time, managing traffic is really important. That and staying around until the end, putting yourself into a position to win, are the keys to it. We really like this track. It’s a fun, different kind of race.”

Five races remain in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech series.

*Courtesy Ford Performance

HARVICK GOES TO VICTORY LANE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Posted on: July 22nd, 2019
Location: post
Loudon, NH – July 22, 2019 – With a bold late race call by crew chief Rodney Childers, Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing secured their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season, making it back-to-back race wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the team.
“Congratulations Kevin, Rodney, and the Stewart-Haas crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Kevin and Rodney put the team in contention for the win and Kevin drove a great race to bring home the win this weekend. I just want to say congratulations to Ford and everyone back at Roush Yates Engines. This was a finish that will be remembered.”
Harvick, in the No. 4 Ford Mustang, capitalized on a late race call by Childers to stay out during the last caution of the race while all, but three cars came in for tires. Harvick had a great restart, but soon had a hard charging Denny Hamlin closing in. As Harvick took the white flag with one lap to go, Hamlin was at his rear bumper and it quickly turned into a drag race to the finish. Harvick was able to hold off Hamlin to take the checkered flag with a margin of victory of 0.210-second.

This was Harvick’s fourth victory at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the 46th of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career. In addition, it marked the 52nd points-race MENCS win for SHR.

“I felt like we had a great car all weekend and everybody had been doing a good job,” commented Childers in Victory Lane. “We were just in a bad spot there with track position and I didn’t think we were gonna win from where we were at, so sometimes you have to make those decisions and Kevin did a great job on the restart and holding his own. That track position was key today and clean air and just really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and everybody at Ford and everybody that has pushed hard for us all year to try to get our cars better and get back to Victory Lane.”
A total of five Fords finished in the top-10. Following Harvick was Ryan Blaney in P4, Ryan Newman in P7, Joey Logano P9, and rounding out the top-10 was pole sitter Brad Keselowski.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it was pole winner Cole Custer, from Stewart-Haas Racing, finishing P2 in New Hampshire in the Roxor 200 while Ford Performance teammates Paul Menard finished P5, Chase Briscoe P6, and Austin Cindric P12.
MENCS will head to Pocono while NXS heads to Iowa this weekend.

23 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 365 WINS – 343 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media

FORD GT WINS AT LIME ROCK WITH DOUBLE PODIUM

Posted on: July 22nd, 2019
Location: post
LAKEVILLE, CT – July 22, 2019 – Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe drove the No. 67 Ford GT to a heart pounding win on Saturday, in the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix, making it back-to-back wins for Ford Performance at Lime Rock Park. The No. 66, driven by Joey Hand and Dirk Müller, made it a double podium winning weekend, finishing third overall.
“Congratulations to Chip, Ryan, and Richard,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Ryan and Richard drove an incredible race and the team strategy was executed perfectly, under extremely hot track conditions, to get the win. Our team, at Roush Yates Engines, is proud to help deliver the engines and team support for the Ford Performance sport car program. This is a great sport we get to participate in with talented teams and drivers.”
It was a chess match of strategies on Saturday afternoon, most teams choosing a two-pit stop strategy, but the No. 67 took a different approach and choose a three-stop strategy, which proved to be the winning formula. Briscoe, pulling a long stint at the beginning of the race, kept the pressure on the leaders in the field.
Westbrook took the wheel for the last portion of the race, taking the lead for the first time on lap 116 and kept digging to build a lead on the field, preparing for the last pit stop of the race. After completing the final pit stop to get new tires, the No. 67 re-entered the field just behind the leaders. As the race time counted down, Westbrook made a stellar move to the outside of the leader and regained the lead on lap 175 with less than six minutes left, to lead the last eight laps of the race and cross the finish line 7.003 seconds ahead of the No. 912 Porsche.
“Ryan made my day a lot easier,” said Westbrook in Victory Lane. “He did an amazing stint and got all the hard work out of the way early. We knew we’d finish on better tires (than the leaders). The car was amazing. It really was. We did everything perfect today. The three-stop strategy; pit stops by the crew. I just can’t say enough about Ford CGR and this Ford GT.”
On a split-team strategy, Hand and Müller drove a solid race on a two-pit stop strategy, stretching their tires and fuel to the limits and finished P3 overall.
In addition, in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the Ford Mustang GT4s ran a strong race with both cars finishing in the top-10. The No. 60 KohR Motorsports team of Nate Stacy / Kyle Marcelli finished P6 and the No. 40 PF Racing team of James Pesek / Jade Buford P9.
IMSA will have the week off before heading to Road America.

23 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 366 WINS – 343 POLES!
* Photos courtesy of Ford Performance

BRISCOE WINS HIS FIRST RACE OF THE 2019 SEASON WITH STEWART-HAAS RACING WITH FRED BIAGI

Posted on: July 29th, 2019
Location: post
NEWTON, IA – July 29, 2019 – Chase Briscoe won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race this season, winning the U.S. Cellular 250 at the Iowa Speedway in the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi Ford Mustang.
“Congratulations Chase, Tony, Gene, and Fred Biagi,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chase drove a great race at Iowa. He showed great patience and maturity as he positioned himself for the final pass. We are proud to partner with Ford Performance to provide the power for the No. 98 SHR Ford Mustang and could not be happier to see Chase back in Victory Lane.”
Briscoe, in the No. 98 Ford Mustang, worked hard to overcome a penalty at lap 151, for running over his air hose, that sent him to the tail end of the lead lap cars. Crew Chief, Richard Boswell made the call to take four fresh tires during the last caution of the race. Restarting behind race leader Christopher Bell, Briscoe battled hard to clear the field and stay close to Bell. The No. 98 made a veteran move off the bumper of the No. 20 and took the lead at the line, on lap 244 to lead the last 7 laps (244-250) of the race. Briscoe built a slight lead, taking the checkered flag 1.069 seconds ahead of Bell.
“Wow, it feels so good to finally break through and get this 98 car in Victory Lane,” said Briscoe. “I couldn’t believe all those guys used their final set of tires with almost 100 laps to go – Boswell made the perfect call and we had the tires we needed at the end. I can’t thank this team enough for all their hard work and for believing in me. They deserve this win.”
In addition, at Pocono Raceway, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole winner Kevin Harvick, from Stewart-Haas Racing, led 63 laps in the Gander RV 400 and finished P6. Ford teammates Brad Keselowski finished P8, Ryan Blaney P10, and Clint Bowyer finished just outside the top-10 in P11.
This weekend will be a double-header of road racing, as NASCAR heads to their second road course of the season, Watkins Glen, and the IMSA teams head to Road America.

23 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 367 WINS – 344 POLES!
* Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media