KANNAPOLIS, NC – March 19, 2020 – Born in 1971, Tony Stewart grew up in a robust era of car culture, where manufacturers catered directly to the consumer with unabashedly loud graphics splashed across premium versions of its cars and trucks.

One of the most prominent and iconic graphics packages came from Ford, and it’s one that caught the eye of NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart when he was an 8-year-old racing go-karts in and around his hometown of Columbus, Indiana.

Ford’s Free Wheeling package featured a bright, kaleidoscope color palate that oozed 70s-era swagger. The limited-edition run was available on the F-100, F-150, Bronco, Econoline van and Courier, and even the Pinto Cruising Wagon. But the Free Wheeling version that resonated the most with Stewart was the one on a black Ford Bronco.

“Every year when we went down to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, I would join Edsel Ford and on race morning and we’d judge the Mustang show,” said Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who co-owns Stewart-Haas Racing with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “This past year they had a bunch of Ford Broncos there too, and that got me thinking about those Broncos with those cool graphics packages I remember seeing back when I was still racing go-karts. I started looking around on the internet and when I finally found it, I knew I had to have it.”

It is a 1979 Ford Bronco Ranger XLT. The year prior, the Bronco migrated to the F-series chassis, giving it full-size proportions. The big, tall sides and wide hood provided the ideal canvas for those vivid stripes that signified the Free Wheeling edition. The Bronco, in particular, amplified those bright graphics with blacked-out bumpers and mirrors. And the sharp looks were more than skin deep, as the Bronco came with a rumbling, 400 cubic-inch V8 that made its presence known even while sitting idle as it rode on quad, heavy-duty shocks and big, 15-by-8-inch wheels. It was this look that Ford featured prominently in its ads, and has since become a cult classic.

“It looks badass,” Stewart said, “but it’s also pretty simple, especially under the hood. I can work on it, and that’s the fun part. There’s an Advance Auto Parts not far down the road from where I went to high school. I can pick up a case of Mobil 1 synthetic, a filter, and do the oil change myself. I can work on it and tinker with it and, you know, I’ve got plenty of time now.”

Stewart, like the rest of the sporting world, is sidelined due to the coronavirus outbreak. Even after retiring as a fulltime NASCAR driver at the end of the 2016 season, the Hoosier has filled his schedule with nearly 100 sprint car races a year. He’s won 23 of those races across a variety of series since his last NASCAR race at Homestead on Nov. 20, 2016. But not being tied to a schedule for the first time in seemingly forever has provided a glimpse of what resides outside a racetrack.

“The rear roof of the Bronco comes off and, honestly, once the weather gets nice, it’ll probably stay off,” Stewart said. “It’s got captain’s chairs up front, but a big bench seat in the back, and with the roof off, that’ll be awesome. I’ve always thought being able to remove the roof was the coolest thing about these Broncos, and now I’ll get to actually enjoy it.”

As much as Stewart relishes his retro Bronco, he’s acutely aware that a new-generation Bronco is getting ready to debut.

“I’m really looking forward to what the new Bronco will look like,” Stewart said. “We kind of got an idea of what it’ll look like when it ran in the Baja 1000 late last year, but that was more of a prototype than anything. I want to see the real deal.”

Would Stewart like to see that real deal with some retro Free Wheeling stripes?

“I’m sure my ’79 Bronco would make a really good big brother,” Stewart said. “Seeing the new one decked out in black with those retro stripes, it would fit right in.”

*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

MOORESVILLE, NC – August 11, 2020 – NASCAR and its top touring series will take on a new challenge this weekend as the Daytona International Speedway Road Course plays host to the ARCA Menards, NASCAR XFINITY, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor, and NASCAR Cup competitors Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Here’s a look at the schedule and some updated Ford notes.

 This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, August 14 – ARCA Menards Series, 5 p.m. (MAVTV)

Saturday, August 15 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)

Sunday, August 16 – NASCAR RV & Gander Outdoors Truck Series, Noon (FS1)

Sunday, August 16 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. (NBC)

 FORD SITTING ON 699 CUP WINS

Kevin Harvick’s doubleheader sweep at Michigan last weekend gave Ford 699 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins.  Ford’s first victory came on June 25, 1950 when Shirtless Jimmy Florian upset the field at Dayton Speedway, beating the likes of NASCAR Hall of Famers Lee Petty and Curtis Turner.  Overall, there have been 85 drivers who have won at least one NASCAR Cup Series race in a Ford with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, who won Ford’s first series championship in 1965, being the all-time leader with 43.

FORD’S BEST CUP START SINCE…

Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 NASCAR Cup Series wins in 22 starts this season, which marks the best start since 1997 when the Blue Oval won 14 times in the same number of races.  Ford went on to win 19 times that season, a mark that was equaled in 2018 when Joey Logano won the series championship and Ford captured the manufacturers’ title.  The most wins Ford has ever amassed in a season during the modern era (1972-present) is 20, which occurred in 1994.  Rusty Wallace led Ford that season with eight victories while Ernie Irvan and Geoffrey Bodine were next with three apiece.

FORD 1-2 IN CUP AND NXS STANDINGS

The regular season is winding down and multiple Ford drivers are competing for the championship and 15 playoff bonus points that goes to the winner.  Currently, Ford holds down the top two positions in the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series.  Kevin Harvick leads the way and has a commanding 137-point lead over second-place Brad Keselowski in Cup while Austin Cindric has an 11-point NXS lead over Chase Briscoe.  Overall, Ford currently has eight drivers in Cup playoff positions with four races remaining before the playoffs start.

DOMINANT RETURN

Since returning to action on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, Ford has dominated in the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series, winning a combined 19 times in 32 starts.  Ford has registered 11 wins in Cup in 18 races, which includes a current three-race winning streak, while the NXS duo of Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric have combined to win eight times in 14 events, including six of the last seven.

HARVICK CLIMBING ALL-TIME WIN LISTS

As noted after his win on Sunday, Kevin Harvick moved into a tie for 10^th-place on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list as he tied NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace with his 55^th victory.  Harvick, who leads the series with six wins in 2020, has also made a rapid rise up the Ford list as well, despite the fact he is only in his fourth season with the manufacturer.  Harvick has now won 20 Cup races with Ford, which makes him one of only 13 drivers to win 20 or more, and ranks 13^th all-time after tying and then passing NASCAR Hall of Famer Davey Allison and Greg Biffle over the weekend.

ROVAL REPLAY?

The last time NASCAR went to a new road course was in 2018 when Charlotte Motor Speedway debuted its ROVAL that fall.  On that occasion, Ford won both inaugural events as Chase Briscoe captured the NASCAR XFINITY race and Ryan Blaney took the Cup Series event.

*Content courtesy of Ford Performance

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – March 24, 2020 – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced schedule updates for three 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge events.

• The Acura Sports Car Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio has been moved to the weekend of Sept. 25-27, 2020. It was originally scheduled for the weekend of May 1-3.
• The IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has been moved up one weekend to run on Sept. 4-6. It was originally scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 11-13. This date adjustment was made to accommodate IMSA competitors planning to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which now will run on Sept. 19-20.
• The 23rd annual Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta has been moved back one week and now will run Oct. 14-17 to provide teams a more balanced schedule as the season comes to its conclusion. The original dates of the event were Oct. 7-10.

These three event date changes are in addition to the previously announced reschedule of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, which now is set for Nov. 11- 14.

Previously purchased tickets for all four events will be valid on the new dates. IMSA will provide additional series updates, broadcast information and event schedules as they become available.

* Courtesy of IMSA

DEARBORN, MI – January 9, 2020 – No, Hailie Deegan conceded with a wide grin, she never expected that her competitive debut on the famous Daytona International Speedway high banks would come in a sports car.

But judging by the smiles and ease she showed Saturday afternoon speaking with reporters at Daytona between Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona practice sessions, she’s eager and mentally prepared for her IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race debut at the grand track on Jan. 24. The in-car skills and sports car initiation is coming together too, she said.

“I never thought I’d race a road course especially at Daytona, that was new for me,’’ Deegan said. “I always thought my first time at Daytona would be in an ARCA car but I’m happy to be here on the road course.’’

Deegan‘s ARCA Menards Series season debut at Daytona will follow the Rolex 24 race weekend and comes only weeks after the 18-year old Californian was formally introduced as a Ford Performance development driver. She will co-drive a Ford Mustang GT4 with NASCAR Xfinity Series frontrunner Chase Briscoe in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Daytona later this month.

In February, Deegan will compete in the season-opening ARCA Menards Series race that essentially opens Daytona Speedweeks – the green flag to a much-anticipated full season of stock car racing. All three of these young NASCAR stars say they are grateful for the chance to begin their season early, confident that the extra laps will only help their skillset.

“I’m really excited just to gain experience in these new cars,’’ Deegan said. “Just everything’s new. A fresh start. It’s waiting to get planned out, meeting new people, new faces, new relationships. I’m excited to grow the relationships in the Ford family and everyone that’s a part of it.

“One thing I haven’t really touched on in my career is road courses, pavement road course type stuff. Coming here and filling that base of what I’m missing as a driver as a hole is definitely going to help me be all around as a driver.

“I feel what makes a good driver is a driver that’s not just good at ovals or road courses they are good at everything and have that skill set. I think if I can just keep getting better skill sets to bring to my career, it will help even more.’’

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – March 25, 2020 – For now, NASCAR’s plan is to return to racing with the May 8-9 weekend at Martinsville Speedway, a Mother’s Day weekend that is scheduled to feature the first full NASCAR Cup Series race under the lights at Martinsville, the sport’s shortest track.

But whether it will be back racing May 9th is still somewhat uncertain. When it’s time to get back to racing, we’ll be ready.

“We’re concentrating on getting back to racing at Martinsville,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said last Tuesday in his only news conference following the postponement of races. “We’ll have to do scenario planning that will look different than that. Right now, our priority is to get back to racing.”

* Courtesy NASCAR