Archive for September, 2020

EIGHT FORD DRIVERS HEADED INTO NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS

Posted on: September 2nd, 2020
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – September 2, 2020 – Clint Bowyer and Matt DiBenedetto clinched two additional spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, to give Ford eight cars in the field of 16. Ford is poised and ready for a deep playoff run.

Bowyer, who entered last weekend’s race at Daytona with a virtual lock on a playoff berth, made it official after Stage 1.

Kevin Harvick will start the playoffs as the top-seed with Brad Keselowski 3rd, Joey Logano 4th, Ryan Blaney 7th, Cole Custer 11th, Aric Almirola 12th, Clint Bowyer 13th and Matt DiBenedetto 16th.

Brad Keselowski 3rd

“It’s good to be in a good spot for the playoffs.  We have a lot of bonus points and obviously we wanted more than what we have, but we’re allowed to be greedy.”

Joey Logano 4th

Ryan Blaney 7th

“We got DiBenedetto in the playoffs, which is good for that group, and looking forward to the next 10 weeks.  It should be a lot of fun.”

Cole Custer 11th

Aric Almirola 12th

Clint Bowyer 13th

Matt DiBenedetto 16th

“I promise you my wife, Taylor, is at home crying right now.  I can bet you anything.  My parents are here in the stands.  They drove all the way down from North Carolina.  My brother in the military, him and his girlfriend were able to make it here, so this is really special to make it in the playoffs.  My career has been one I had to fight, claw, scratch for everything and it makes me so appreciative.  I say the little things, but this is a big one making the playoffs for the Wood Brothers.  This is very big, really special and I’m glad we’ll be able to get to work and do the best we can the rest of the season and we have a lot of really good tracks and short tracks coming.”

The Cup Series’ next race is the Cook Out Southern 500, scheduled Sunday, Sept. 6 (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) at Darlington Raceway. The Labor Day weekend classic opens the 10-race playoff march that will determine the 2020 championship.

*Courtesy of Ford Performance and Getty Images

HARVICK WINS NASCAR CUP PLAYOFF RACE AT DARLINGTON

Posted on: September 8th, 2020
Location: post
DARLINGTON, SC – September 8, 2020 – Kevin Harvick won his eighth NASCAR Cup Series race of the 2020 season and first race of the NASCAR Playoffs at the Southern 500. Harvick collected his second win at Darlington Raceway this season for Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford Performance.
“Congratulations to Kevin, Rodney, and the entire No. 4 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Kevin and the No.4 crew never gave up and were in position to take the lead at the right time for the first win of the playoffs and our 175th Cup win. “
After battling his car set up for a good part of the race, Harvick found himself in a perfect position to take the lead after Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. tangled and hit the wall in the last stage of the race. Harvick passed Elliott on lap 355 to lead a total of 32 laps. As the laps wound down Harvick defended a hard charging Austin Dillon, holding him off on the last corner to take the checkered flag a mere .343 seconds ahead of Dillon.
“Anytime you can win the Southern 500 is a good day,” commented Harvick. “This is one of the most prestigious races in our sport and this is one of the most prestigious racetracks in our sport, so anytime you can win at Darlington it’s a big deal, but, man, Southern 500!”
Four Ford Mustangs finished in the top-10. Following Harvick was Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P3 and Stewart-Haas teammates Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer in P9 and P10 respectively.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series also took on the Lady in Black. Chase Briscoe led 55 of the 147-lap race and came in P11 while fellow Ford Performance teammate, Austin Cindric came in P12.
In addition, the Ford Mustang GT4s were back in action in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series at Road Atlanta.  Seb Priaulx and Scott Maxwell had their best finish of the year finishing on the podium in P2. Fellow Ford teammates from PF Motorsports, Chad McCumbee and James Pesek finished P8.
With the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in full swing NASCAR heads to Richmond where the Xfinity Series will run a double-header and the Cup Series will run the second race of the Cup playoffs.
27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 405 WINS – 362 POLES!
About Roush Yates Engines 
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

KESELOWSKI WINS & SECURES A SPOT IN THE ROUND OF 12

Posted on: September 14th, 2020
Location: post

RICHMOND, VA – September 14, 2020 – Brad Keselowski called it when he predicted the No. 2 Ford Mustang would run well at Richmond and be in victory lane. And that’s exactly what happened. Keselowski led a race high 192 laps out of the 400-lap race on his way to collecting the NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 trophy at Richmond Raceway, Saturday night. In addition, securing the second spot in the Round of 12 for Ford Performance.
“Congratulations to Brad, Jeremy, and the No. 2 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Brad and the No. 2 team executed all night, on the track and in the pits. It was all about executing their plan and the team did an outstanding job. We are proud to celebrate our 100th NASCAR win with Team Penske and to have two Ford Mustangs secured in the next round of the Playoffs.”
After battling Team Penske teammate Joey Logano for the better half of Stage 2, Keselowski was able to make a late stage pass to take the Stage 2 win and put his team in a good position for the final stage of the race. The No. 2 team split the final stage up into a two-pit strategy. The team executed on pit road and Keselowski passed for the lead on lap 48 for the final time. The No. 2 finished with an impressive 2.568-second margin of victory over Martin Truex Jr. for the win.
When asked how awesome his Ford was, Keselowski commented, “It was really good. Our Mustang was really hauling. This car was really strong, and I really got a great rhythm out on the racetrack. You’ve got to get a really precise rhythm for how you get around here and I was able to find that very early on, put a lot of thought into what I was gonna do and it paid off.”
Five Ford Mustangs finished in the top-10. Following Keselowski was Team Penske teammate Joey Logano in P3 and Stewart-Haas teammates Kevin Harvick P7, Aric Almirola P8, and Clint Bowyer P10.
With one race left in the Round of 16, five Ford drivers find themselves above the cut line. Harvick is on top of the leader board in P1, Keselowski P2, Logano P4, Almirola P10, and Bowyer P12. Cole Custer, Matt DiBenedetto, and Ryan Blaney will be putting it all on the line to make it into the Round of 12.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series held their last double-header of the season in Richmond. The Ford Performance drivers Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe competed well, but finished P4 and P11 respectively in Friday night’s Go Bowling 250. At the completion of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 250 on Saturday, Cindric finished P10 and Briscoe P16.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s race, Cindric with five wins, 16 top-5s and 20 top-10s on the year, was awarded the Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship. The No. 22 driver collects 15 bonus points for the playoffs and will be the No. 1 seed going into the Xfinity Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in two weeks.

“We sat down as a team at the beginning of the year and we all wrote down our top-three goals.” Cindric commented. “I am not a big proponent of setting goals, but we put something on paper and my number one was the regular-season championship. From the outside looking in that was maybe a lofty goal, but we have a lot of speed and a lot of fight and I am really proud of that effort.”
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs head to Bristol for the final race before the Round of 12 cutoff. In addition, the Xfinity Series wraps up their regular season at Bristol and looks forward to starting the Xfinity Playoffs at Las Vegas.
27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 406 WINS – 363 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images
About Roush Yates Engines 
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

Video: PRESSURE BUILDS FOR ROUND OF 16 FINALE AT BRISTOL

Posted on: September 18th, 2020
Location: post

Mooresville, NC – September 18, 2020 – The Round of 16 comes to a conclusion on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway and five Ford drivers are on the bubble.  Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Cole Custer, Ryan Blaney and Matt DiBenedetto are all fighting to advance.

Here’s a glance at what some of the drivers are feeling as the pressure mounts in this Ford Performance NASCAR playoff video.

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski have already clinched spots in the Round of 12 after winning the first two playoff races at Darlington and Richmond, respectively, while Joey Logano has a 51-point cushion for the final transfer position.

FORD DRIVERS IN THE ROUND OF 16 STANDINGS

  1. Kevin Harvick        (Clinched: Darlington win)
  2. Brad Keselowski    (Clinched: Richmond win)
  3. Joey Logano                                        +51
  4. Aric Almirola                                        +7
  5. Clint Bowyer                                         +3
  6. Cole Custer                                             -8
  7. Matt DiBenedetto                            -25
  8. Ryan Blaney                                        -27

It’s time – Let’s do this!

* Courtesy of Ford Performance

HARVICK AND BRISCOE WIN AT THE LAST GREAT COLOSSEUM

Posted on: September 21st, 2020
Location: post

BRISTOL, TN – September 21, 2020 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines win both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Chase Briscoe and Kevin Harvick from Stewart-Haas Racing had their work cut out for them throughout the race and during the final laps at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile”, both battling elite competition for the win.
“What a weekend in Bristol! Congratulations to Kevin, Chase, Tony, Gene, and the entire Stewart-Haas Racing Organization for the weekend sweep. These teams were well prepared and worked their strategies for the race wins,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Our team at Roush Yates Engines is looking forward to the Round of 12 in the Cup Series playoffs and the start of the Xfinity Series playoffs this weekend at Las Vegas.”
Brad Keselowski led the field to green in the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race and led a total of 82 laps before a power steering issue sent him to the garage. Team Penske racing teammate, Joey Logano, had a strong run finishing in the top ten in both stages while spending most of the night inside the top five. A loose wheel forced Logano to pit early and trapped him laps down, ultimately finishing P11.
The final laps at Bristol Motor Speedway surely did not disappoint, with two stock car racing champions, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, in a fierce battle for the win. Harvick and Busch swapped the lead multiple times before Harvick took the lead with 31 laps to go and crossed the finish line .310 seconds over Busch earning his ninth win of the 2020 season.
When asked about his battle with Busch, Harvick commented, “To beat Kyle Busch at Bristol, I kind of got myself in a little bit of a ringer there. I hit a lapped car and got a hole in the right-front nose, but just kept fighting. We don’t have anything else to lose. We were here to try to win a race. I know how much Rodney really enjoys coming here and, hell, how can you not enjoy coming here with all this enthusiasm.”
Five Ford Mustangs finished in the top-10. Following Harvick was Stewart-Haas teammates Aric Almirola in P5 and Clint Bowyer in P6. Roush Fenway’s Chris Buescher had a great run finishing P8 as well as Michael McDowell from Front Row Motorsports finishing P10.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series race was just as exciting this past weekend at Bristol. Both Ford Performance drivers, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe, finished inside the top five in both stages in the Food City 300. The final stage saw Austin Cindric take a comfortable lead at lap 253, until a power steering issue surfaced just 17 laps later. Cindric did a great job of hanging onto the lead until six laps to go when Briscoe made the winning pass.
This was Briscoe’s seventh time in victory lane in 2020, but winning at Bristol was special due to the fact that there were a limited number of fans back in the stands. Briscoe commented, “I am so thankful that we are back with the race fans. You guys are the best. It’s not the same without you guys. We can’t wait to get you back all the time, but, man what a race.”
The NASCAR Playoffs head out West to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the Round of 12 kickoff for both series. In the Cup series there are five Ford drivers still in the hunt for the championship (Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, and Clint Bowyer). In the Xfinity series both Ford drivers, Briscoe and Cindric, will be competing for the championship over these next seven weeks.

 

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 408 WINS – 364 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

BRISCOE WINS & SECURES 2nd ROUND PLAYOFF POSITION

Posted on: September 28th, 2020
Location: post
LAS VEGAS, NV – September 28, 2020 – Chase Briscoe won his eighth NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the 2020 season and first race of the NASCAR Xfinity Playoffs winning the ALSCO 300. Briscoe collected back-to-back wins at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this season for Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford Performance.
“Congratulations to Chase, Richard, Tony, Gene and the No. 98 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chase and the No. 98 crew showcased their speed at Vegas while winning both stages and taking home the checkered flag. Eight wins in a season is a testament to the hard work and partnership between Ford Performance, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chase, and our team at Roush Yates Engines.”
Briscoe dominated at Las Vegas Motor Speedway leading a career high 164 laps out of 200 while winning both stages and taking the checkered flag by 1.370 seconds over second place.  On Lap 180, Briscoe had over a six second lead, but a late race caution brought the field together for a 10 lap shoutout.

Briscoe joins an elite group of NASCAR legends as Sam Ard and Jack Ingram are the only two drivers to win eight races in the opening 27 races of a Xfinity Series season.
“First off, an incredible car by everybody at Stewart-Haas. That made my job way too easy, honestly,” said Briscoe. “The restart, I knew if I could take the lead on the restart, I would be okay, but I was spinning the tires so bad all night for whatever reason. I guess that Roush Yates horsepower. We have had a lot of wins this year, but this is by far our most dominant car and I am so glad I can sleep a little easier this week going into Talladega and the Roval and just enjoy them.”

Ford Performance teammate Austin Cindric from Team Penske finished 6th and now with Briscoe locked into the next round, Cindric leads the Xfinity Playoffs standings by 17 points. Cindric was also recognized and received his regular season championship trophy while in Las Vegas.
The NASCAR Cup Series also rolled the dice during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto finished P2, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney finished P7, Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher finished P9, while Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick finished P10.
In addition, the Ford Mustang GT4s were back in action in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series for a double header at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. On Saturday, the No. 22 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang finished P5 while No. 40 PF Racing finished P9. On Sunday, PF Racing finished P4 while Multimatic Motorsports finished P19 due to an early race incident.
The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series Playoffs are in full swing as both series head to Talladega Speedway this weekend.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 409 WINS – 366 POLES!

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images
About Roush Yates Engines 
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races