Archive for the ‘2018 Press Releases’ Category

2018 NASCAR HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE | ROBERT YATES

Posted on: January 18th, 2018
Location: post

ROBERT YATES | A LEGEND

 Career Highlights:

  • NASCAR Championship Team Owner for Dale Jarrett- 1999
  • Premier NASCAR Engine Builder with 77 wins – 1967-1988
  • NASCAR Championship Engine Builder with Bobby Allison – 1983
  • NASCAR Engine Builder for Richard Petty’s 199th and 200th win
  • Daytona 500 Engine Builder and NASCAR Team Owner- 1969, 1982, 1992, 1996, 2000
  • 3 time Winning Daytona 500 NASCAR Team Owner – 1992, 1996, 2000
  • 2 time Winning Brickyard 400 NASCAR Team Owner – 1996, 1999
  • 57 Wins and 48 Poles as a NASCAR Team Owner

Awards:

  • Recipient of the Bill France Award of Excellence – 2000
  • Recipient of the Buddy Shuman Award for lifetime achievement in NASCAR – 2007
  • Recipient of the Bruton Smith Legends Award – 2010
  • Inducted into NASCAR Auto Racing Hall of Fame
  • Inducted into NMPA Hall of Fame 2010
  • NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee – Class of 2018

Robert Yates worked in the sport of stock car racing for nearly 40 years building a legendary career, becoming part of  NASCAR history along the way. The Yates name became synonymous with “Speed” and “Horsepower”.

For four decades, Yates was one of NASCAR’s premier engine builders, officially becoming a NASCAR owner by opening Robert Yates Racing (RYR) in 1988. In 2004, Yates and Jack Roush decided to team up and forge a partnership to form Roush Yates Engines, becoming Ford’s exclusive engine builder for their NASCAR teams. In 2007 Yates retired from racing, but continued his involvement in Roush Yates Engines. A new business venture brought Yates out of retirement in 2010 and back to NASCAR to form Robert Yates Racing Engines. The company was named the exclusive North American provider of the NASCAR-Approved Spec Engines.

Robert’s fingerprints have left an unforgettable impression on millions of fans and thousands of colleagues in and around the sport of racing. His career as master engine builder,  championship car owner and mentor was his passion.

Being inducted into the Class of 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame was a lifetime achievement for Robert and the Yates Family. He will always be remembered for delivering the legendary “Yates Horsepower”!

HARVICK & FORD PERFORMANCE WIN BACK-2-BACK-2-BACK

Posted on: March 12th, 2018
Location: post

AVONDALE, AZ, March 12, 2018 – Kevin Harvick made Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history by winning three Cup races in a row. A feat only accomplished 23 times in the NASCAR Series. No. 4 Harvick, in his Ford Fusion powered by the Ford FR9 engine, recorded his 40th career MENCS win and fifth win with Ford Performance.

“Congratulations to Kevin, Tony, Gene and Ford Performance on the win,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This win showcases all the dedication and effort that was put into the off-season building winning race cars and engines. We take great pride in partnering with Ford on the design and development of the Ford FR9 engines and this weekend we were blessed with two big wins. It’s an honor to work with the employees of Ford Motor Company, all of our Ford Performance Race Teams and our dedicated staff at Roush Yates Engines.”

In Victory Lane Harvick made the following remarks, “To come here to a race track that is so good for us is a lot of fun and everyone was just determined this week and we just wanted to just go stomp them. We didn’t stomp them, but we won. That’s all that really matters. Just proud of this team.”

Harvick did what had not been done since 2015 by Ford teammate Joey Logano and won three MENCS races in row. Coming off back-to-back wins in Atlanta and Las Vegas, Harvick took the checkered flag in Phoenix .774 seconds in front of Kyle Busch to record his third consecutive win of the 2018 season.

“We’ve been really fortunate that everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing is building us really good cars and the guys at the engine shop are giving us good engines, everyone is just doing their jobs and flowing good,” commented Rodney Childers in Victory Lane. “It means a lot to me to be in Victory Lane. To have three in a row is incredible and is something I never really dreamed about.”
The No. 4 drove a patient, but aggressive race, pacing the Ford Fusion with the field to make the right moves at the right time. After a late race run of green flag pit-stops the No.4 was in fifth place. Harvick then retook the lead with 22 laps to go and never looked back to record his ninth win in the desert at the TicketGuardian 500.

It was a stellar race for Stewart-Haas Racing. All four of the SHR cars finished in the Top-10; Harvick P1, No. 14 Clint Bowyer in P6, No. 10 Aric Almirola in P7 and Stage 2 winner No. 41 Kurt Busch in P10.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Brad Keselowski weathered a rain delayed race in the desert to win the DC Solar 200 in his first NXS start of the season. Team Penske No. 22, Keselowski picked up his second victory at the one-mile track and the 37th NXS of his career.

Keselowski, starting from the inside of the front row, driving the Ford Mustang, gained the lead from the pole sitter, Justin Allgaier for the first time on lap twelve. The No. 22 leveraged the Ford FR9 Carbureted engine to win the race after working his way back through the field after serving a pit-road speeding penalty and waiting out two rain delays. Keselowski retook the lead for the final time on lap 179 on his way to leading 63 out of the 200 lap race at ISM Raceway.
“Brian Wilson made some great adjustments to the car and the weather kind of came to us with what we needed for how our car was handling,” Keselowski commented after the race. “It is good to see that work out for everyone at Team Penske with the Fitzgerald Glider Ford Mustang. It was a solid team effort. I am really proud of them.”

Stewart-Haas Racing, Cole Custer finished P8 and NXS newcomer, Kaz Grala from JGL Racing finished an impressive P12.

The NASCAR Western Swing will make its final stop at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA this weekend. Reference the full 2018 schedule on www.roushyates.com.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 320 WINS – 283 POLES!

IMSA RACE DEBUT AT MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE

Posted on: May 1st, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC, May 1, 2018 – Ford Chip Ganassi Racing was happy to see Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule in 2018.

For one, the race is just hours away, instead of days from, the Indianapolis-based team. Secondly, each driver has a history at the tricky track.

Both Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs finished in podium position in Long Beach a little more than two weeks ago, with Hand and Müller finishing third in the No. 66 Ford GT while teammates Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook finished second in the No. 67 Ford GT. All four drivers have career wins at Mid-Ohio in various series.

Briscoe, who knows the track from his IndyCar days, says mental toughness as well as track knowledge will play into results on race day.

“With multi-class racing, that balance between aggression and patience will be key,” Briscoe said. “There are some pretty tight and twisty parts of the track that will make passing difficult.”

All four drivers have career wins at Mid-Ohio.

“I’m really, really looking forward to going back to Mid-Ohio,” Müller said. “We raced there for ALMS (The American Le Mans Series) both Joey (Hand) and myself and we had really good races there. It’s a challenging one. It’s a short, tricky track. I’m expecting cooler weather. Ford Chip Ganassi Racing is always very prepared and wants to be one step ahead of everyone, so we’ve already had one good test there. I can’t wait to get back. It’s a phenomenal place and always good for a good crowd. We’ll want to put on a good show.”

*Courtesy of Ford Performance and IMSA

CONVERGENT SCIENCE AND ROUSH YATES ENGINES RENEW PARTNERSHIP

Posted on: June 27th, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – June 27, 2018 – Roush Yates Engines announced today that it has reached a multi-year partnership extension agreement with Convergent Science.

Convergent Science, an industry leader in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) located in Madison, Wisconsin, has been a Technical Partner of Roush Yates Engines since 2016. Over the past two years, Roush Yates Engines (RYE) and Convergent Science have celebrated 57 wins and 56 pole positions together. In addition, the 2018 season has started out fast with 19 wins and 16 poles to date. These accomplishments were made possible in part with the foundation that Convergent Science and RYE have built over the past two and half years, working together and leveraging the power of CONVERGE CFD software.
“In the highly competitive world of NASCAR racing we continually search for competitive advantages,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Our partnership with Convergent Science is a key to our performance on the track. With the use of their cutting edge CONVERGE CFD software and analysis tools we can simulate designs faster than ever before, giving us the data to make better decisions quicker. As we look to the future we are excited about the continued search for speed with CONVERGE.”

The CONVERGE CFD software suite includes a powerful set of tools. The software combines simulated fluid flow analysis with advanced automated meshing capabilities in one product making it ideal for product development and advanced testing.

“The future plan with Convergent Science is to build on our established partnership, focusing on improving through-put and building on the strengths of what CFD analysis offers our engineering and technical staff,” commented Jamie McNaughton, Technical Director of Roush Yates Engines. “It is critical that in a time when competition is at its highest level that we leverage the right tools at the right time to deliver the most accurate results that will assist our team in making those championship winning decisions.”

Using CONVERGE software helps RYE make decisions that have a significant impact on the cost and time requirements for actual physical testing. Multiple part designs can be compared and evaluated against each other in a virtual environment, reducing the number of necessary tests and associated expense. This selection process makes the physical testing more productive by not physically testing inferior designs.
“In all forms of CFD, the quality of the results is dependent on the quality of the mesh,” said Brian Kurn, Simulation Analyst of Roush Yates Engines. “CONVERGE’s Automated Mesh Refinement (AMR) takes the guess work out of meshing by increasing mesh resolution only where it’s needed. AMR simultaneously improves the solution quality and reduces solution time.”

Having the proper set of tools has accelerated the product development process, making it more effective and cost efficient for our business model and needs.

“We at Convergent Science pride ourselves on continual innovation,” said Kelly Senecal, Vice President and Co-Owner of Convergent Science. “Our partnership with Roush Yates Engines has been and continues to be very fruitful. By seeing which features and physical models in CONVERGE provide the most value to Roush Yates Engines, we can better identify our next targets for software enhancements.”

Roush Yates Engines and Convergent Science: partners that continue to push each other. Now there’s a winning combination!

About Convergent Science
Founded in 1997 in Madison, Wisconsin, Convergent Science is a global leader in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. Its customers include leading automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers, tier one suppliers, and professional motorsport teams.

Its flagship product, CONVERGE, is an innovative CFD software with truly autonomous meshing capabilities that eliminate the grid generation bottleneck from the simulation process. CONVERGE is revolutionizing the CFD industry and shifting the paradigm toward predictive CFD.

For more information about Convergent Science please visit convergecfd.com.

*NASCAR image courtesy of NASCAR Media

FORD & BRAD KESELOWSKI SWEEP DARLINGTON RACEWAY

Posted on: September 5th, 2018
Location: post

DARLINGTON, SC – September 4, 2018 – Brad Keselowski, driving the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Fusion, won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this season, at the iconic Darlington Raceway on Sunday night in the Southern 500. In addition, on Saturday afternoon, Keselowski recorded his first career win at South Carolina’s historic speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Race Sport Clips Haircuts 200.
“Congratulations to Brad, Roger, Team Penske and Ford Performance for sweeping the Southern 500 Throwback weekend at Darlington,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Brad was on top of his game and his pit crew came through big time on the last stop of the race Sunday night! An awesome 1-2 finish for Team Penske on Sunday and 1-2 finish on Saturday afternoon for Team Penske and Stewart-Haas Racing.”

In a grueling race during NASCAR’s throwback weekend, Keselowski was running second to Kyle Larson until the last caution on lap 345. Keselowski and his pit crew won the race off pit road, giving Keselowski the final race lead for the remaining 19 laps. Teammate Joey Logano crossed the finish line in second place to make it a 1–2 finish for Team Penske.

“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my pit crew,” Brad Keselowski stated in Victory Lane.  “We were running second and that last stop they nailed it and got us out in the lead. I thought Kyle was really good, and he was flat-out flying. I know how it goes. In 2015 we led a bunch of laps and lost it on the last pit stop and today my team won it on the last pit stop.”

Five Ford Performance teams finished in the Top-12; Keselowski (P1), Logano (P2), Kevin Harvick (P4), Kurt Busch (P6) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished (P12) in front of a packed stadium at Darlington Raceway.

Ford has seven drivers locked into playoff positions with one race remaining at Indianapolis before the MENCS Playoffs’ kick off in Las Vegas. Harvick leads the Playoff field in the number one position with 40 points.
Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Clint Bowyer, Busch and Aric Almirola are fourth, eighth and fourteenth. In addition, Team Penske teammates have also clinched positions; Keselowski sits in fifth, Logano in sixth, and Ryan Blaney in eleventh.

Keselowski started ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts 200 on Saturday afternoon and worked his way through the field to take the checkered flag.
After taking the lead with 33 laps to go, Keselowski won his third race out of five Xfinity starts this season, winning Team Penske’s sixth overall NXS race. Cole Custer, in the No. 00 SHR Ford Mustang, crossed the finish line .738 seconds behind Keselowski to make it a 1-2 finish for Ford Performance.
NASCAR heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend to determine the final MENCS 2018 Playoff field. Reference the full 2018 schedule on Roush Yates Engines.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 345 WINS – 309 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media

 

No. 4 LOCKED INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4!

Posted on: November 5th, 2018
Location: post

FORT WORTH, TX – November 5, 2018 – Kevin Harvick won at Texas Motor Speedway and is locked into the Championship 4 for the fourth time in the last five years. Two Ford Performance drivers have secured positions to run for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami in two weeks. This marked Harvick’s eighth win in the 2018 season and 45th of his Cup Series career.

“What a great weekend for Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford Performance,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Congratulations to Kevin, Cole, Gene, Tony, and the entire SHR crew. Kevin and the team executed from start to finish today and Cole drove a remarkable Xfinity race on Saturday. The team at Roush Yates Engines is proud to be part of these teams and we are working hard for wins every weekend for Ford Performance.”

The Ford Fusions started the weekend out strong, sweeping pole qualifying 1-5 with Ryan Blaney recording his third pole of the season, followed by SHR teammates Clint Bowyer in second, Harvick third and Aric Almirola in fourth while fellow Ford Performance teammate Brad Keselowski started fifth.

The AAA Texas 500 came down to a two-lap sprint between Ford teammates Harvick and Blaney. Harvick had led 171 laps, when the eighth caution of the race came out, with just six laps to go in the race, moving it into overtime. The No. 4 and the No. 12 lined up side-by-side, with Harvick taking the outside. Harvick made a power move, off the top, to blast by Blaney to take the lead and the checkered flag. The No. 4 proved to be the car to beat by winning Stage 1, Stage 2 and leading a race high 177 laps.

“It was a big day for all of us,” commented Harvick in Victory Lane. “For me on the restarts and to win the race on the restart late at the end. The guys on pit road had a solid day and gained spots on pit road and Rodney made great calls. All around, just a great day of execution.”

The race ended with a 1-2-3 Ford Performance finish with Blaney coming in second and Joey Logano finishing a solid third. Stewart-Haas teammates Kurt Busch and Almirola came in seventh and eighth respectively.

As the Ford Performance Playoff drivers move onto Phoenix they line up in the standings as follows: P1 Harvick, P2 Logano, P5 Busch, P7 Almirola, and P8 Bowyer.
On Saturday, Cole Custer won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the 2018 season at Texas Motor Speedway and automatically advanced into the Xfinity Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge saw a record 13 race cautions for the series at the Texas Motor Speedway. The final caution came out at a perfect time for the No. 00, setting up a two-lap shootout for the checkered flag, with Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric. Custer battled door to door and held off Reddick for the victory. Custer led 16 laps out of the 200-lap race.

“I can’t believe it,” Custer stated in Victory Lane. “The 1 {Elliott Sadler} is the best pusher in the series and I hated that I didn’t have him behind me. We did all we could. I drove it in deeper than I have all weekend and it worked out. I am pumped for Autodesk, their first time on the car. Gene Haas, I wouldn’t be here without him and Haas Automation. I am pumped. We are going to Homestead, and I think we have a great shot of winning.”
Custer now leads the Xfinity Playoff standings, being the first driver to secure a spot in the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami.

Going into the final qualifying race before Homestead-Miami the MENCS and NXS teams head out west to Phoenix, ISM Raceway this weekend.

19 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 353 WINS – 316 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media

STARRETT AND ROUSH YATES ENGINES RENEW PARTNERSHIP

Posted on: January 25th, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC, January 25, 2018 – Roush Yates Engines and L.S. Starrett Co. are pleased to announce they have reached a partnership extension.

Starrett precision measuring solutions provides the Roush Yates Engines’ team with premier measuring and inspection tools required in the fast paced and competitive world of motorsports.

“Starrett is bar none the premier metrology instruments and measuring tool manufacturer,” said Todd English, VP Business Development, Roush Yates Engines. “We rely on their high standards of workmanship and quality every day on and off the track. We are excited for the opportunity to grow and expand this valued partnership and look forward to taking it to the next level.”

Starrett has been a trusted and valued supplier of Roush Yates Engines’ since 2003 and became an official Roush Yates Engines’ partner in 2016. They have been an integral part of over 14 Championships, 312 Wins and 282 Poles with Roush Yates Engines, proving that precision and repeatability are vital for winning results.

We utilize the Starrett product line because they are a trusted, made in America, industry leader in metrology equipment,” said Chad Johnson, QA Manager, Roush Yates Engines. “The name alone speaks for itself in the machining world. In order to produce the best product, we use the best equipment.”

Their shared commitment to quality ensures a continued level of excellence that is expected from a world class organization.

“Being technical partners with Roush Yates Engines has been a significant win for Starrett,” commented James B. Taylor, Ph.D., VP of Operations, L.S. Starrett Co. “As with any true partnership, both parties were able to bring expertise and relationships to the table to be leveraged in a synergistic way. Starrett’s metrology expertise helped win the 2017 Daytona 500 and keep Roush Yates Engines making lots of steam! RYE networked Starrett into an entire industry and helped develop B2B relationships that continue to bear fruit. We look forward to continuing to win in business as well as on the track.”

About L.S. Starrett Co. (NYSE: SCX):  
The L.S. Starrett Co. was founded in 1880, in Athol, Massachusetts. Starrett, a leader who has set the standard for fine precision tools in the industry for over 130 years, has rightfully earned the title, “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”.

Manufacturing more than 5,000 variations of precision tools, gauges, measuring instruments and saw blades for industrial, professional and consumer markets worldwide. Starrett operates sixteen manufacturing locations worldwide with six in the United States.
For more information about L.S. Starrett visit http://www.starrett.com.

FORD GTs PREPARE FOR THE 12-HOURS OF SEBRING

Posted on: March 12th, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC, March 12, 2018 – Ford Performance looks to make it two consecutive wins for the Ford GT this weekend. At this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, it was their time to shine for the No. 67 Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Indy car driver Scott Dixon earning the top spot on the podium, while No. 66 teammates Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Indy car driver Sébastien Bourdais clinched P2. Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will try to keep the momentum going at the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday.

The Ford GTs used smart pit and tire strategy, not to mention heads-up driving, to get the lead early on in the 24 Hour race and kept it. Will this be the same strategy for the 12-hour race this weekend?

“We’re only one race into the season, so there’s a lot of work ahead of us,” commented Briscoe. “The competition is going to be tough. I think Sebring as always is going to be a true test. It’s one of the toughest tracks on the circuit for a lot of reasons. The racing is hard; it’s a long race. I hope we’ll be prepared enough to compete well, but I have no expectations it’s going to be easy.”

The win in Daytona was the second in a row for the team at the Rolex 24 and the 200th overall for team owner Chip Ganassi. Ford has only one historic race left to win with the new Ford GT – the 12 Hours of Sebring – and that has made the team hungry.

“We’re fortunate in that we have the smartest people in the business at Ford Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “They make smart decisions and it’s proven again and again on the track.”

At last year’s race in Sebring, Ford nearly finished p2-3 at Sebring after a penalty sidelined one of the leaders, until a last-lap crash put the No. 67 out of podium position. The No. 66 finished second, ending its attempt to win class titles in the Le Mans 24, Rolex 24 At Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring in nine months.

“We really just put everything on the table,” Hand said. “If you finish second, the one thing you want to make sure of is that you did everything you could to win the race. We’ve tested at Sebring a few times since then and added to the data we have from that track, we’re confident we can give it another shot this year.”

* Courtesy Ford Performance

FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP “SUPER SEASON” OPENER

Posted on: May 2nd, 2018
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC, May 2, 2018 – The first ever FIA World Endurance Championship “Super Season” gets underway this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. After completing an intensive winter test program, the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team is stronger than ever and ready for what is expected to be the most competitive GTE Pro class battle ever.

Michelin has produced a new tire for 2018, so much of the test program has focused on getting the most from the new rubber. Spa will be the first opportunity to see who has done the best job on that front.

“The Super Season is a huge task for the team as it contains two Le Mans 24 Hours and is spread over a long period so we have to make sure we stay focused the whole time,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsport. “We’re thrilled to have been invited to run four Ford GTs at Le Mans again this summer and we will do everything in our power to make sure all four GTs ‘Go Like Hell’. Our target is to win at Le Mans, both times and to win the championships in both WEC and IMSA. We’ve started well in IMSA where we are running first in the GTLM driver, team and manufacturer’s championships. We’re aiming high!”

Ford will face stiff competition from Ferrari, BMW, Aston Martin and Porsche during the WEC Super Season, with Corvette joining the fight at Le Mans. When the level of competition is as high as it is in GTE Pro you need a team of exceptional drivers, and Ford is delighted to retain Stefan Mücke (GER) and Olivier Pla (FRA) in the No. 66 Ford GT and Andy Priaulx (GB) and Harry Tincknell (GB) in the No. 67. Joining them for Spa and Le Mans are team regular Billy Johnson (US) in No. 66 and Indycar superstar Tony Kanaan (BRA) in the No. 67 Ford GT.

“I’m really looking forward to Spa and the start of the Super Season,” Mücke said. “We’re excited to start this special season that has two Le Mans 24 Hours in the schedule. We have new competition coming with new cars and a very big GTE Pro field for Le Mans. It’s going to be a tough season with tough racing but that’s exactly what we want. We know the Ford GT well now; every bolt and every detail. We’ve been very busy over the winter especially with tire testing and making sure every detail of the car is perfect. I think we are stronger than ever, better prepared than ever, and that’s why I think we have a very good chance this year.”

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team has had a busy winter, running through a detailed test program to make sure everything is ready for Spa. This has included many pit stop drills for the team as the rules governing pit stops have been updated for 2018. Teams are now permitted to change tires at the same time as refueling the cars, which will make the stops faster and provide more excitement in the pits.

The 6 Hours of Spa gets underway on Saturday, May 5 at 7:30 AM ET on Velocity.

*Courtesy of Ford Performance 

FORD TEAMS SWEPT WATKINS GLEN!

Posted on: July 2nd, 2018
Location: post

WATKINS GLEN, NY – July 2, 2018 – It was an all Ford weekend in Watkins Glen, New York. The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing (FCGR) team of Dirk Müller and Joey Hand won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series, Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, while the Ford Mustang GT4 found Victory Lane in the Continental Tire 240.

“Joey drove absolutely stellar at the end,” said Dirk Müller. “O’Gara (Mike O’Gara, Team Manager) made the perfect call. We leap-frogged everybody. There was a lot of pressure. It sounds easy, but it wasn’t. I gave it my all.”
“Congratulations to Joey, Dirk, Chip and Ford Performance,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Endurance races are always challenging, especially this one, returning from Le Mans. Our team in partnership with Ford Performance did a great job, making sure the cars had what they needed from an engine perspective and managing the six-hour race with excessive temperatures. I’m proud of the entire team and happy to see Ford back in Victory Lane.”
With temperatures on the track reaching well over 100 degrees, the twin turbo Ford EcoBoost V6 engines showed great pace and performance by qualifying 1-2 on Saturday. It was the No. 67, driven by Richard Westbrook, that captured the pole, running a 1:41.961 lap time and recording Roush Yates Engines’ 300thall-time pole. Teammate Joey Hand piloted the No. 66 to P2 to make it an all Ford front row.
During a late race caution the No. 66 was able to take a shortened pitstop due in part to running a fuel saving strategy. Then a heads-up call by Mike O’Gara, Team Manager, directing Müller to make a fast out lap from the pits, while the leaders went into the pits, allowed the No. 66 to inherit the lead on lap 166.

Müller never looked back, building a 1.592 second lead over the P2 Corvette, to lead the last 25 laps of the race and win the GTLM class.

Only one point separates the two FCGR teams in the Driver and Team Points Standings, No. 66 (147 points) in first place and No. 67 (146 points) in second. In addition, Ford retains its lead in the Manufacturer Points Standings by four points over Porsche.

The No. 66 and Ford also now lead the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup Series, which is a combination of the four longest races on the IMSA schedule; Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta.
In the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, it was a Ford Mustang GT4 in Victory Lane. The No. 8, Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 with drivers Chad McCumbee and Pat Gallagher made it to the top of the podium for the first time in the 2018 season, making it a combined third Ford Mustang GT4 win this year.
After starting on the front row at P2, next to the pole-winner No. 80 Mustang GT4, the No. 8 fought hard throughout the race with clean pit stops and good tire strategy to lead a race total 59 laps and take the checkered flag.

“Two podiums in a row, a second and a first, is great,” Gallagher said. “Multimatic has been giving us great cars to get some results, so we’ll keep it rolling. I really wanted to win at Mid-Ohio because it’s my home track, but Watkins Glen is one of my favorites also.”

The No. 80 dominated early on in the race, before getting turned into a tire wall halfway through the race. Brett Sandberg and co-driver Martin Barkey finished P15.
Ford NASCAR development driver Ty Majeski returned to IMSA competition with co-driver Scott Maxwell in the No. 15 Multimatic GT4 and finished P9.

Ford now leads the Manufacturer points standing by seven points over BMW in the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge, GS class.

The Ford teams move onto Canada this weekend to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Reference the full 2018 schedule on Roush Yates Engines.

14 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 334 WINS – 301 POLES!
*Images courtesy of Ford Performance