MOORESVILLE, NC – May 5, 2020 – It seemed to be a rather odd question in the aftermath of just winning the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series, Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Huh?

“What’s your favorite color?”

Red.

That brief exchange between Aric Almirola, who had just led the final four laps to win the 2017 Sparks Energy 300 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Talladega Superspeedway, and co-owner Bill DenBeste was pretty much forgotten in the midst of high-fiving crew members, conducting interviews, and posing for pictures in victory lane. 

Until…

“It was about a month later and I looked out in the driveway and there was this black Shelby Cobra with red racing stripes,” recalled Almirola, who is in his third season driving the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. “Bill is really big into the restoration and re-creation of the Shelby Cobras. He’s got lots of them in a warehouse, so he went back to California and basically picked out one that was already restored.

“That’s kind of my date night car with Janice,” added Almirola, who says the 1965 two-seater resides in his garage, but is ominously surrounded by a variety of bikes, scooters, and other toys that children Alex and Abby play with on a daily basis. “When the weather is nice and it’s a beautiful day, we’ll go for an afternoon cruise or go get lunch, or I’ll take the kids to go get ice cream in it.”

It is also a major departure from what he normally drives, which has also changed over the years. At first, he had an Expedition, which was understandable with a young and growing family, but when it came time to get something new Almirola opted for an F-150 with one specific reason in mind.

“I decided to go with the F-150 because I enjoy doing projects around the house and when I’m cleaning up I just like being able to take things and throw it in the bed of the truck,” said Almirola. “Whether you go to get lumber from a home improvement store or you’re going to the dump it’s just nice having the bed of the truck. With the Expedition I just always felt bad throwing things in the back and messing up the carpet.”

One such project Almirola recently completed was totally rebuilding the deck on the back of his house. We’re talking everything from tearing the old one down to putting the new one up.

“I love working with wood, so that was something I really enjoyed,” said Almirola, who welcomes the many challenges that come along with the actual build more so than the relatively mindless task of taking something apart. “But over the course of rebuilding it there were many trips to get materials, and then when you demolish the old one there is plenty of stuff that needs to be hauled away, so my F-150 came in handy throughout the whole project.”

While he loves the enjoyment that his vintage sports car brings and appreciates the versatility his truck provides, Almirola talks like a fisherman who let the big one get away when it comes to one specific vehicle.

“I’m very envious of the people that have the Ford GT,” said Almirola. “I think that is an incredible vehicle and I wish I had one, but I just was not courageous enough to make that financial investment.”

Then again, you never know what could end up in his driveway the next time he wins a race or, even better, a NASCAR Cup Series championship.

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

DARLINGTON, SC – May 14, 2020 – NASCAR returns to racing this weekend with a 400-mile event at Darlington Raceway on Sunday afternoon (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX), marking the first of four Cup Series races in the span of 11 days. The last time the circuit came to Darlington in the spring was 2004 when it also hosted the fifth race of the season. Here’s a quick recap of the 2020 season to date and a look at Ford’s success at this historic oval.

2020 SEASON RECAP

Sunday’s Darlington 400 will mark the fifth race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Ford is the only manufacturer to win more than once after Joey Logano registered victories in Las Vegas and Phoenix. Despite those two wins, Logano finds himself second in the point standings by one point to fellow Ford driver Kevin Harvick, who is the only man to post a top 10 finish in all four events. Overall, Ford has six drivers among the top 10 in the point standings as Ryan Blaney sits sixth, Aric Almirola eighth, Matt DiBenedetto ninth, and Brad Keselowski 10^th.

In the Xfinity Series, Ford holds two out of the top three spots in driver points standings with Chase Briscoe P2 and Austin Cindric P3.

FORD DARLINGTON FACTS:

• Ford has 29 all-time series wins at Darlington.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner won Ford’s first race at Darlington in 1966.
• Brad Keselowski is the last Ford driver to win at Darlington, capturing the Southern 500 in 2018.

 DARLINGTON MASTER

David Pearson holds the record for most NASCAR Cup Series wins at Darlington Raceway with 10 and eight of those came in Ford Motor Co. products. He won six times driving the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Mercury (1972,’74,’76-2,’77), winning the Southern 500 twice in that span (1976-77), and two more times in a Holman-Moody Ford (1968 and ’70). Pearson won three Southern 500 titles overall, capturing his third in 1979.

 FIELD OF 70

The first time Ford won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway was when Curtis Turner took the Southern 500 on Sept. 3, 1956. Unlike today, where the field is set at a maximum of 40 cars, there were 70 vehicles in the race that saw Turner lead 224 of the 400 laps. He beat Speedy Thompson to the finish line by more than two laps, and did it in record fashion with an average race speed of 95.167 mph.

MILLION DOLLAR BILL

Bill Elliott earned the nickname “Million Dollar Bill” after winning the Winston Million Bonus in its first year of existence on Sept. 1, 1985. Needing to win three of the four “crown jewel” races in order to claim the $1 million bonus from series sponsor Winston, Elliott won the Daytona 500 and Winston 500.  His chance to claim the prize in the Coca-Cola 600 failed, so that left it up to the Southern 500, which Elliott immediately set the tone for by qualifying on the pole. He led the first 14 laps, but Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough served notice that they were going to be contenders. Earnhardt led a race-high 147 laps, but a blown engine forced him out of the race while Yarborough suffered a power-steering problem that derailed his chances. Elliott passed Yarborough when he had his problem with 44 to go and held on to win by three car lengths.

RECORD WIN

No race exemplifies Darlington’s toughness better than the Southern 500 that took place on Sept. 6, 1965 in which only 15 of 44 cars finished the race, and was highlighted by Cale Yarborough flying over the guard rail and down an embankment in turn one. The attrition that day may have been partly responsible for Ned Jarrett winning by a NASCAR-record 14 laps, but it wasn’t the sole reason. Jarrett and his No. 11 Ford were competitive all day, running up front and leading two times for 23 laps during the middle stages.  But when Fred Lorenzen and Darel Dieringer both encountered mechanical problems on lap 325 of the 364-lap event, Jarrett was there to capitalize and cruise to his 12^th victory of the season. He won by a NASCAR-record 14 laps and clinched Ford’s first NASCAR Cup Series driver championship in the process.

DALE AND BUD

The first of Dale Earnhardt’s three NASCAR Cup Series wins with Ford and car owner Bud Moore came on April 4, 1982 when he won the CRC Chemicals Rebel 500 at Darlington Raceway.  Earnhardt, who drove two seasons for Moore in 1982 and ’83, dominated a race that saw 20 of the 37 cars not finish due to a variety of issues. Earnhardt led 181-of-367 laps and beat Cale Yarborough to the finish line for his seventh career victory.  Earnhardt eventually went on to win two more races with Moore the following season at Nashville and Talladega.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE WINNERS AT DARLINGTON

1956 – Curtis Turner

1960 – Joe Weatherly (1)

1961 – Fred Lorenzen and Nelson Stacy

1962 – Nelson Stacy and Larry Frank

1963 – Fireball Roberts (2)

1964 – Fred Lorenzen (1)

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1968 – David Pearson (1)

1969 – Lee Roy Yarbrough (2)

1970 – David Pearson (1)

1981 – Neil Bonnett (2)

1982 – Dale Earnhardt (1)

1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1988 – Bill Elliott (2)

1992 – Bill Elliott (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Bill Elliott (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (1)

1998 – Dale Jarrett (1)

1999 – Jeff Burton (Sweep)

2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)

2005 – Greg Biffle

2006 – Greg Biffle

2018 – Brad Keselowski

* Courtesy Ford Performance

DARLINGTON, SC – May, 20, 2020 – The NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled to continue tonight with its second event at Darlington Raceway in four days after Kevin Harvick won Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400, marking the sport’s return to active competition.  Following Wednesday night’s primetime feature, the series shifts to Charlotte Motor Speedway and the annual Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, 24th .

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT DARLINGTON

• Ford has 30 all-time series wins at Darlington.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner won Ford’s first race at Darlington in 1966.
• Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick are the only active Ford drivers with Darlington Cup wins.

FORD STARTS 2020 WITH THREE WINS IN FIVE RACES
This marks the second time in three years that Ford has won three of the first five races to start a NASCAR Cup Series season.  Joey Logano registered two wins during the western swing, taking the checkers at Las Vegas and Phoenix, while Harvick followed up at Darlington.  Ford is the only manufacturer with more than one victory this season and leads the manufacturer standings by 15 points.

FORD DRIVERS DOMINATE TOP 10 IN POINT STANDINGS
Kevin Harvick was already the points leader going into Darlington, so his victory only increased his lead, which now stands at 28.  Overall, there are seven Ford drivers in the top 10, including three each from Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.  Following Harvick in the standings are: Joey Logano (3^rd), Brad Keselowski (5^th), Aric Almirola (7^th), Ryan Blaney (8^th), Matt DiBenedetto (9^th) and Clint Bowyer (10^th).

HARVICK JOINS SELECT GROUP
Kevin Harvick’s victory Sunday marked his 50^th in Cup competition, becoming only the 14^th driver to achieve that milestone.  He joins NASCAR Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett with that many wins.  Harvick will move into 12^th-place on the all-time list with his next Cup victory and needs four more to catch Lee Petty for 11^th and five to tie Rusty Wallace for 10^th.  Of the 20 Cup races Stewart-Haas Racing has won since joining Ford in 2017, Harvick was won 15.  In addition, Harvick is the only driver on the circuit who has recorded a top 10 finish in all five events this year.

NEMECHEK RECORDS FIRST TOP 10
John Hunter Nemechek registered his first top 10 career NASCAR Cup Series finish on Sunday.  Making his eighth career start, Nemechek drove his No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang to a ninth-place finish after starting the event 34^th.  The top 10 finish was the first for Front Row Motorsports at a speedway other than Daytona or Talladega since Chris Buescher finished fifth for the organization in the Bristol Night Race on Aug. 21, 2016.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE WINNERS AT DARLINGTON
1956 – Curtis Turner
1960 – Joe Weatherly (1)|
1961 – Fred Lorenzen and Nelson Stacy
1962 – Nelson Stacy and Larry Frank
1963 – Fireball Roberts (2)
1964 – Fred Lorenzen (1)
1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett
1968 – David Pearson (1)
1969 – Lee Roy Yarbrough (2)
1970 – David Pearson (1)
1981 – Neil Bonnett (2)
1982 – Dale Earnhardt (1)
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1988 – Bill Elliott (2)
1992 – Bill Elliott (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Bill Elliott (2)
1997 – Dale Jarrett (1)
1998 – Dale Jarrett (1)
1999 – Jeff Burton (Sweep)
2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2005 – Greg Biffle
2006 – Greg Biffle
2018 – Brad Keselowski
2020 – Kevin Harvick (1)

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

BRISTOL, TN, May 29, 2020 – There is no driver more proud to be associated with Ford Motor Company than NASCAR’s Clint Bowyer, but this weekend that feeling will take on additional meaning for both he and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Mustang.

That’s because “Built Ford Proud” will be highlighted with decals appearing on the hood, decklid and both rear quarter panels of his Mustang during Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I have had the privilege of driving for each of the manufacturers currently in NASCAR and each of them like to call themselves family.  When you drive for Ford and you look up you see Edsel Ford standing by your car – he’s the actual Ford family. This isn’t lip service. This is THE family,” said Bowyer, who is now in his fourth year driving with Stewart-Haas Racing.  “I think that everyone connected with Ford sees and feels this. That’s why ‘Built Ford Proud’ means so much. It’s people who really care about their work and take pride in what they do, whether that is building vehicles or helping out their fellow Americans.”

The race, which will be televised live on FS1 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, is the ninth of the season and fifth since NASCAR returned to action on May 17.

“We’re honored that Stewart-Haas Racing and Clint Bowyer will run a ‘Built Ford Proud’ paint scheme in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Bristol,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. marketing, sales and service.  “Ford has always been a company that has risen up to help Americans in time of need, and we are very proud of the efforts of our employees who have stepped up to create PPE, ventilators and respirators for medical and first responders across this country.

“Clint and all the Ford Performance drivers have personally helped reach out to their fan bases with messages on what they can do to stay safe during this time,” continued LaNeve.  “We’re thankful they have joined us in this effort to help America.”

Since turning its attention to helping front line workers, Ford has developed new powered air-purifying respirators approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Ford has produced more than 400,000 reusable surgical gowns manufactured from material used to make airbags and other durable fabrics, and shipped them around the U.S. In addition, the company makes more than 1.5 million face shields a week and has shipped more than 20 million shields to all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Guam.

The company also just announced it finalized an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to donate 200,000 face shields to military bases across the U.S. and abroad.

On the track, Ford leads all manufacturers in Cup Series wins this season and has 37 all-time victories at Bristol, which is the self-proclaimed ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’ with drivers regularly turning laps in 15 seconds or less.

“You would have to really sell hard for me not to believe that short-track racing is our best product. It just is, and the reason I say that is because it’s so much fun, so demanding inside the car. The workload is through the roof for the driver and the excitement is there for the fans,” said Bowyer, who will be making his 29th career Bristol Cup start.  “You’re really wheeling that thing, trying to keep the grip under your tires, forward bite.  Trying to keep the thing turning.  Fighting the balance of the cars.  Fighting your crew chief all race long because you’re whining in the car, and he is tired of hearing you whine.  But all those things come together to win that race and be successful.”

Bowyer has been running competitively since the sport’s return to action, becoming the first driver this season to win the first two stages of an event when he did that in the second Darlington event last week.  He led a race-high 71 laps before hitting the wall with 34 laps remaining and finishing 22nd.

“The way we are running I think we can pounce on one and get one here,” said Bowyer.  “And trust me, there’s not a team that will party as much as the old 14 car.”

*Courtesy of Ford Performance and Stewart-Haas Racing