Archive for the ‘2020 Press Releases’ Category

CHASE BRISCOE SET TO JOIN PF RACING AT ROAD AMERICA

Posted on: July 29th, 2020
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – July 29, 2020 – PF Racing is thrilled to be back in action at Road America this Saturday for the third round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. This weekend, Ford Performance Development driver Chase Briscoe will be joining the Missouri outfit, replacing Chad McCumbee for this event.

“I am very excited to get back in IMSA racing,” said Chase Briscoe, who will be joining regular driver James Pesek in the #40 PF Racing Ford Mustang. “This will be a learning weekend as we will be back at Road America in two weeks for a NASCAR Xfinity race.”

The Stewart-Haas driver uses this Michelin Pilot Challenge opportunity to clock in seat time in preparation for the NASCAR race. Thanks to five wins this season, Briscoe is second in the Xfinity Championship, four points behind his main competitor, fellow Ford driver Austin Cindric.

“It is nice to get back on a road course,” explained Briscoe. “Road America is a beautiful track in a great part of the country. It is one of the best laid out road courses because there is a little bit of everything; 90-degree corners with a kink, a carrousel and long straightaways, heavy brake zones, and elevation. And the facility looks like a national park, which is great. I look forward to being on track, and I am looking at trying to win the race.”

“I am happy to be sharing the wheel with Chase,” revealed James Pesek. “He is an excellent driver, and I can’t wait to learn from him. Road America is a special track; it has an old-school feel and is very fun and challenging to drive. I have been practicing on the simulator to make sure I am on top of my game.”

PF Racing had a successful season thus far, with an 11th place finish at Daytona, placing the #40 PF Racing Ford Mustang as the best finishing Ford in the field. Sebring’s last event proved to be a little bit harder, with little practice time and challenging weather conditions, which prevented the team from a Top-10 finish.

The Road America 120 will air live on TrackPass Saturday, August 1st at 4:45 pm ET.

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

LOGANO AND BRISCOE WIN AND ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4

Posted on: October 19th, 2020
Location: post

KANSAS CITY, KS – October 19, 2020 – Joey Logano, won the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, securing a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 for Team Penske and Ford Performance. Chase Briscoe, from Stewart-Haas Racing, also secured a spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 by winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday.
“A great weekend for Ford Performance, Team Penske, and Stewart-Haas Racing. Congratulations to Joey, Paul, Chase and Richard for their wins at Kansas. To be locked into the Championship 4 for both series at the beginning of the Round of 8 is awesome,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Joey was able to take advantage of his experience and fast pit crew!  And to see Chase mature as driver, collect his ninth win in a single season, is a testament to his passion and character for our great sport.”
Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Ford Mustang led three times for a race high 85-laps, but a late race caution shuffled up the field. It was the quick work of the No. 22 Team Penske pit crew, that provided the lead for Logano during the restart on lap 223. Logano led a total of 47 laps and was able to hold off a hard charging Harvick to win by .312 of a second.
“What an amazing team this Shell Pennzoil team is,” Logano commented. “Pit stops put us in position and got us the lead. We are going to Phoenix and racing for a championship again. Heck Yeah!”
Harvick finished P2 while Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski finished P4 and Ryan Blaney P7 and Wood Brothers Racing’s, Matt DiBenedetto finished P12. With two races to go before the Championship, all three Ford Performance Playoff drivers are currently in the top four by wins or points.
Briscoe, driving the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang, dominated the Xfinity Series race by sweeping both stages and leading 159 laps out of the 200-lap race. During a late race caution, Briscoe re-started mid-pack and muscled his way through the field to finish 1.199 seconds ahead of second place. Briscoe’s ninth win of the year is the highest numbers of wins for a Ford driver in the Xfinity Series.
During his victory lane interview, Briscoe commented, “I am super happy to be locked into Phoenix. It is going to be a lot less stressful the next two weeks. I can’t say enough to everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. This Ford Performance Racing School Mustang was lights out. It has been an unbelievable year, but we have three more to go.”
Both Chase and Ford Performance teammate, Austin Cindric are currently in position to advance to the final Championship 4.
The Ford Mustangs of Multimatic Motorsports and PF Racing raced at Road Atlanta on Friday in the Fox Factory 120 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series. PF Racing finished P8 while Multimatic finished P18 due to an early race incident.
The NASCAR Playoffs head to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for the second race in the Round of 8. The next race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenges Series is at Laguna Seca.

 27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 411 WINS – 367 POLES!

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

FORD HISTORY AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Posted on: March 10th, 2020
Location: post

HAMPTON, GA – March 10, 2020 – This weekend the NASCAR series shifts to Atlanta Motor Speedway, where the Blue Oval has won three straight Cup events, defending winner Brad Keselowski also won in 2017 and Kevin Harvick 2018 winner.

 FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT AMS

  • Ford has 33 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at AMS.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen won the Atlanta 500 three straight years (1962-64).
  • Brad Keselowski (2017/2019) and Kevin Harvick (2018) have Ford wins at the track.
  • Georgia native Bill Elliott is Ford’s all-time leader at AMS with five wins.
  • The Wood Brothers rank second with 12 series wins at AMS.

 FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT AMS

  • Ford has 10 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at AMS, all but two by Roush Fenway Racing.
  • Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of this event.
  • Jeff Gordon won his first series race, and the first one ever held at AMS, with Ford in 1992.
  • Harvick leads all drivers with five series wins.
  • Mark Martin has the most Ford wins with three while Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards have two each.

 FORD IN THE GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT AMS

  • Ford is still looking for its first series win at AMS.
  • Matt Crafton has one win (2015) and leads all drivers with 10 career Top-10 finishes.
  • Ford has 100 all-time series victories.

 KESELOWSKI GETS FIRST CUP WIN FOR MUSTANG

Brad Keselowski gave Mustang its first NASCAR Cup Series victory as he held off Martin Truex Jr. at the finish to win last year’s Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Keselowski, who was battling an illness all weekend and had Austin Cindric standing by in case he needed relief, led the final 33 laps to post his 28th career victory.  In all, Ford led 177 of the 325 laps and won for the third straight year at the 1.5-mile track.

HARVICK DOMINATES

Kevin Harvick led eight times for a race-high 181 laps in winning the Fold’s of Honor 500 in 2018 and completing a sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY races.  After winning all three stages the day before in his Ford Mustang, Harvick took the first stage in the Cup race and then led the final 25 laps to post his 38th career victory and third with Ford.  Brad Keselowski finished second and Clint Bowyer third to give Ford a 1-2-3 sweep.  Ford dominated from start to finish as four drivers combined to lead 272-of-325 laps.  Harvick became the first Ford driver to sweep a Cup/XFINITY weekend since Joey Logano did it in 2015 at Watkins Glen International.

KESELOWSKI CAPITALIZES

Brad Keselowski took advantage of a pit road speeding penalty by Kevin Harvick to pull away from the field in the final 14 laps to win the Folds of Honor 400 in 2017 and snap a 10-race Ford Performance draught in the NASCAR Cup Series.  The win was Keselowski’s first at AMS, but it didn’t look likely because Harvick dominated the afternoon, winning the first two stages in convincing fashion.  He appeared headed to victory, but on his final stop he was hit with a speeding penalty on pit road and didn’t have enough time to recover.  That proved to be a major storyline on the day as NASCAR handed out a total of 11 speeding penalties.

EDWARDS DOES BACKFLIP FOR THIRD TIME

When Carl Edwards beat Jimmie Johnson to the finish line by 2.684 seconds in 2008, it marked his third at the track and first since sweeping both events in 2005.  In addition, it moved Edwards up two spots into second-place in the point standings, but he was still a distant 183 points behind Johnson with only three races to go.  Edwards eventually finished runner-up in the Chase that season by 69 points.

SNOW DAYS

Morgan Shepherd capturing Ford’s 400th series victory in 1993 when snow delayed the Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 for nearly a week.  The original race date was Sunday, March 14, 1992, but a blizzard that would eventually be called the ‘Storm of the Century’ pounded the Atlanta area with 6-8 inches of snow.  An estimated 82,000 fans came back the following Saturday, where they were greeted by souvenir rigs that sports t-shirts proclaiming ‘I Survived the Atlanta Blizzard 500.’  When the race started Mark Martin had the dominant car as he led 140 of the first 225 laps, but engine problems put him out of the running and Shepherd took advantage as he stretched his fuel mileage to the finish, leading the final 12 laps and winning by a whopping 23.50 seconds.  The win for Shepherd, who was 51 at the time, was his fourth and final victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SWEEP DREAMS

Marvin Panch was the first driver to sweep both AMS races in a single season when he did it in 1965 with the Wood Brothers.  Georgia native Bill Elliott posted a pair of season sweeps (1985 and 1992) and won five times overall while Carl Edwards registered the first win of his career at the speedway in 2005 and matched it later that fall.

LORENZEN LAPS THE FIELD

Ford went to victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time in 1961 when NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen captured the Festival 250 on July 9 while driving for Holman-Moody.  He did it in dominating fashion as well by lapping the field.  Lorenzen, who led 52 laps on the day, beat runner-up Bob Welborn by one lap in his 1961 Ford.  Richard Petty finished third that afternoon, but was three laps down.  That victory served as a springboard for Lorenzen’s future success at AMS, which included becoming the first driver to win the Atlanta 500 three straight years (1962-63-64).

FORD’S ATLANTA CUP WINNERS

1961 – Fred Lorenzen

1962 – Fred Lorenzen

1963 – Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Fred Lorenzen and Ned Jarrett

1965 – Marvin Panch (sweep)

1967 – Cale Yarborough and Dick Hutcherson

1968 – LeeRoy Yarbrough

1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough

1975 – Buddy Baker

1978 – Bobby Allison

1981 – Neil Bonnett

1985 – Bill Elliott (sweep)

1987 – Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott

1990 – Morgan Shepherd

1991 – Mark Martin

1992 – Bill Elliott (sweep)

1993 – Morgan Shepherd

1994 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin

1997 – Dale Jarrett

2002 – Kurt Busch

2005 – Carl Edwards (sweep)

2008 – Carl Edwards

2017 – Brad Keselowski

2018 – Kevin Harvick

2019 – Brad Keselowski

FORD’S ATLANTA XFINITY WINNERS

1992 – Jeff Gordon

1997 – Mark Martin

1998 – Mark Martin

2000 – Mark Martin

2004 – Matt Kenseth

2005 – Carl Edwards

2008 – Matt Kenseth

2011 – Carl Edwards

2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

2018 – Kevin Harvick

Sunday, Mar. 15 – NASCAR CUP SERIES
2:00 P.M. Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on FOX, PRN

Saturday, Mar. 14 – NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
4:00 P.M. EchoPark 250 on FS1, PRN

*Courtesy of Ford Performance and NASCAR Media

NASCAR GETS BACK TO RACING

Posted on: May 14th, 2020
Location: post

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 10th.

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 12th 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

FORD PERFORMANCE and KESELOWSKI WIN AT LOUDON

Posted on: August 3rd, 2020
Location: post

LOUDON, NH – August 3, 2020 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines won their third straight race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Brad Keselowski during the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Kevin Harvick 2018 and 2019).  Keselowski’s win was his third for the NASCAR Cup Series 2020 season. This marked Team Penske’s 50th NCS series win with Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines since 2013.
“Congratulations to Roger, Brad, Jeremy, and everyone at Team Penske,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “The Ford Mustangs ran strong at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and it was great to see the teams of Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing finish in the top 10. I’m looking forward to racing at Michigan International Speedway this upcoming weekend and thankful for the leadership and commitment from Ford Motor Company.”
Keselowski led the final 81 laps to finish 1.647 seconds ahead of Denny Hamlin in the 318 mile race. In total, Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford Mustang led a total of 184 out of 301 laps and won Stage 2. Six Fords finished in the top-10, with Team Penske teammate Joey Logano in P4, Stewart- Haas Racing Kevin Harvick in P5, Wood Brothers Racing Matt DiBenedetto in P6, Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola in P7, and rookie Cole Custer in P8.
“We’ve had a lot of great races this year with the 2 car, but we just haven’t really went out and kind of dominated a race,” said Keselowski. “Talking to Jeremy Bullins and like, ‘Man, what do we need to get to the next level? We’re right there. We need to go out and just dominate a race,’ and that’s what today was for us with the Western Star/Alliance parts Ford Mustang. I’m really proud of my team and the effort that they gave today. A great race car and to all the Team Penske, thank you. It’s so great to be racing back in front of fans again. It feels like forever, so welcome back, guys.”

Ford leads all manufacturers with 11 Mustang race wins while Stewart-Haas and Kevin Harvick lead the owner and driver points standings in NCS.
The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Michigan International Speedway for a double header on Saturday, August 8th and Sunday August 9th while the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Road America.
In the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series at Road America on Saturday afternoon, Multimatic finished P8 while PF Racing finished P13 with the 5.2L V8 Ford Engine. These Ford Mustangs will race again on August 22 – 23 at Virginia International Raceway.
27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 398 WINS – 357 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

Ford Captures 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers’ Championship for Second Time in Three Seasons

Posted on: November 2nd, 2020
Location: post

Ford clinched the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturers’ championship with today’s result at Martinsville Speedway.

  • Ford leads all manufacturers with 18 series wins by five drivers.
  • This marks the second time in three years Ford has won the manufacturers’ title.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/HeljmxMuKG4

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 1, 2020 – Ford claimed its first championship of the 2020 NASCAR season earlier today when it clinched the manufacturers’ title at Martinsville Speedway.

Ryan Blaney’s second-place finish enabled Ford to win the coveted crown for the second time in three years and give Mustang its first championship since debuting in the series last season.

“We’re in motorsports to win races and championships, so to clinch this year’s manufacturers’ championship before the end of the season with all of the challenges everyone in the sport has faced is a real source of pride.” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.

“An accomplishment like this wouldn’t be possible without the dedication from everyone who works in Ford Performance, our race teams, and Roush Yates Engines,” continued Rushbrook.  “We all work together on a daily basis to put the best Mustangs we can on the track every week and being able to see that effort rewarded in this way is a point of pride for our customers and employees, and a true testament of the engineering strength inside Ford Motor Company.”

Ford leads all manufacturers with 18 wins in 2020 with Kevin Harvick leading the way with a series-best nine.  Brad Keselowski (four), Joey Logano (three), Ryan Blaney (1) and Cole Custer (1) also registered at least one victory.

Ford will now turn its focus to Phoenix Raceway, where Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski will have a chance to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship on Sunday, Nov. 8.  Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric will compete for the NASCAR XFINITY Series title on Saturday, Nov. 7 while Grant Enfinger goes for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series crown on Friday, Nov. 6.

FORD MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2018, 2020

NEWMAN’S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE TODAY SHOW, SINCE DAYTONA

Posted on: March 11th, 2020
Location: post

March 11, 2020 – Ryan Newman said Wednesday morning that he’s “thankful for so many people” as well as the safety enhancements made during his time in NASCAR as he recovers from his last-lap wreck in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Newman’s appearance on NBC’s TODAY show in New York City marked his first sit-down interview since suffering serious injuries Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The 42-year-old driver briefly answered questions on his way through the garage last weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

“It’s still humbling to watch (the wreck) and know that I am sitting here without a headache, which is amazing,” Newman said Wednesday. “It’s just a miracle on so many levels. I’m thankful for so many people for prayers, and for all the things that went into me being safer in that situation. … The angels aligned and held a really good grip.”

“It’s not just me,” Newman added when asked about his personal commitment to safety over the years. “There’s a whole group at NASCAR that’s done a great job, from the tracks to the safety personnel, the drivers inside the cars, the cockpits, the containment seats that we have. There are so many levels of things that happened in the last 20 years that I’ve been part of the sport that helped me be able to sit here today.”

Newman was starting his 19th full-time season in NASCAR’s top division at the time of his crash. He spent less than two days in the hospital before his release, walking out of Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with his daughters by his side.

Newman has missed the last three NASCAR Cup Series races and was not on the initial entry list for this Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM). Xfinity Series regular Ross Chastain is currently scheduled to drive the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Roush Fenway Racing driver said Wednesday that he’s been diagnosed with a bruised brain and was unconscious in his car for a period after the wreck. While his timetable to return to the track remains uncertain, Newman reiterated he hopes to return as soon as he is cleared.

“I love it,” Newman said of his desire to race. “It’s been a little bit painful to be out of the race car and to not be doing what I’ve done for so many years. I’ve been racing since I was 4, 4-and-a-half years old. It’s just kind of who I am.”

*Courtesy Roush Fenway Racing & NASCAR

HARVICK REACHES MILESTONE, 50th CUP RACE WIN

Posted on: May 18th, 2020
Location: post

DARLINGTON, SC – May 18, 2020 – Ford Performance restarts the 2020 season right where they left off, in Victory Lane. They captured their 30th win at the historic Darlington Raceway in The Real Heroes 400, representing all the first responders and front-line workers. Kevin Harvick drove the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Mustang to his 50th NASCAR Cup Series win while marking Doug Yates’ 200th NASCAR Cup career win with Ford Performance.
“Congratulations to Kevin, Rodney, Tony, Gene, and the No. 4 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Congrats to Kevin on his 50th career Cup win, what an amazing accomplishment. Our entire team has been looking forward to the return to racing. To see all the hard work and dedication our teams have put in and to see them win, is truly special. We’re proud to be part of this milestone win with Kevin, SHR, and Ford Performance.”

When asked what it meant for him to win his 200th Cup race, Yates commented, “These last thirty years have been a blessing. To achieve this milestone in the Cup Series is surreal. I am so proud of our team at our shops, they put their hearts into building these engines with Ford Performance and I’m proud of the team we have built together over the years.”
Preparation was key for running well at Darlington especially without any practice before the race. Harvick and the No. 4 crew came out firing on all cylinders. The car set-up and team strategy were in sync throughout the race. The team took full advantage of the number one pit stall, but none so important as the last pit stop of the race. Harvick was able to win the race off pit road, to control the restart. Lining up on the outside, next to Alex Bowman, it became a drag race at the drop of the green flag. Harvick prevailed and never looked back. Harvick took the checkered flag 2.154 seconds ahead of Bowman.
“Hell ya’ boys,” commented Harvick over his car radio. “Great job, great car, thank you guys. Awesome job. Awesome, awesome, awesome.”

Harvick said, when asked about his 50th win, “It doesn’t seem real and I think as you look at Darlington I think as you look at the things that happened this weekend, I really thought that it would definitely play into our hand just because our guys are so good at hitting (the setup of) the car off the truck for the most part. We put a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of studying, a lot of meetings and just have to thank everybody at the shop who has built all these cars and just, man, I’m excited. I’m speechless.”
Harvick became the fourteenth driver to win at least 50 Cup Series races and passes his boss, Tony Stewart, who won 49 during his career, on the all-time list. Harvick now ties NASCAR Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for twelfth in wins.

The Ford Mustangs led 239 out of the 293-lap race. Led by Harvick with a race-high of 159 laps followed by  pole-sitter and Stage 2 winner, Brad Keselowski with 80 laps.
John Hunter-Nemechek, driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports car, also delivered a stellar ninth place finish for the first time Rookie.
It is also important to think about the first responders, hospital workers and grocery store workers, trucker drivers and everyone that has stepped up to help get our country through this unprecedented time. We are very THANKFUL!

NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to Darlington on May 19th for their fifth race of the 2020 season and on May 20th for the second race in 4 days for NASCAR Cup racing.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 383 WINS – 357 POLES!

* Images courtesy of  NASCAR Media, Jared C. Tilton & Chris Graythen photographers

FORD PERFORMANCE SWEEPS MICHIGAN AND ROAD AMERICA

Posted on: August 10th, 2020
Location: post

BROOKLYN, MI – August 10, 2020 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines won at Road America with Austin Cindric and swept the double header at Michigan International Speedway with Kevin Harvick. Cindric’s win marked his fourth win in the 2020 season and the ninth win for Ford Performance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Harvick’s wins marked three in-a-row in the NASCAR Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing and six in-a-row at MIS for Ford Performance teams and Roush Yates Engines.
“What an incredible weekend!” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “The weekend started off with an impressive run and win by Austin Cindric at Road America then ended with Kevin Harvick sweeping Michigan! Winning at Michigan has always been special for our team and the Ford family. It feels great to be able to keep the Heritage trophy in Dearborn.”
The NASCAR Cup Series had an action-packed weekend with a double header at Michigan International Speedway. Harvick dominated on Saturday afternoon, winning both stages and the FireKeepers Casino 400. Harvick‘s fast Ford Mustang was out front the majority of the afternoon, leading a race-high 92 of the 161 laps.
As the laps wound down, the competition began to heat up. There were five restarts in the final 30 laps, including an overtime finish, that forced Harvick, “The Closer”, to close out the win just 0.284 seconds in front of Ford Performance teammate Brad Keselowski.

Ryan Blaney also had a strong day, leading 27 laps, top five finish in both stages, and finishing P4. Joey Logano led 18 laps while finishing P8.
“This was just an awesome car to drive today,” Harvick said. “I think the confidence is high when we come to Michigan anyway. It‘s a race track that‘s been really good to us and for whatever reason just fits our style of cars, everything we do with our cars at Stewart-Haas Racing.”
Sunday’s Michigan race was more of the same, with Harvick winning stage two and the race. Harvick led a race-high 90 of 156 laps. This was his sixth victory of the season, his fifth at Michigan and the 55th of his Cup Series career, tying him with Rusty Wallace on the series’ all-time win list.
Harvick had to hold off a hard charging Denny Hamlin in the closing laps of the Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday. “It was a big challenge.” said Harvick. “Our Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang got really tight there in three and four. I could run really good through one and two still, but I was just tight on that other end all day. So, I’ve just got to thank all my guys. They did a great job all weekend on pit road. Great pit calls. Just got to thank Haas Automation, Mobil 1, Hunt Brothers, Jimmy Johns, Fields. Everybody who helps put this No. 4 car on the track and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Yates Engines for awesome power underneath the hood this weekend.”
For Sunday’s race, Logano finished P5, Aric Almirola P6, and Matt DiBenedetto had a great run, finishing P7. Clint Bowyer also led 43 laps while winning stage one.
On Saturday afternoon the NASCAR Xfinity Series took on Road America, a 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Cindric dove into Turn 1 taking the lead after the green flag dropped and led the opening eight laps before cars were called to pit road due to lightning in the area. After more than an hour of delay, teams returned to their cars.
The entire race was filled with ever changing weather conditions that made pit road strategy crucial. Heavy rain showers during the race forced teams to change to rain tires, but once the sun came out it was a race back to the slick tires.
The race win came down to a three-lap shootout between Cindric and AJ Allmendinger. Cindric came out on top, achieving his fourth win of the year while leading a race high of 19 laps. Chase Briscoe fought hard and was in contention to win all day while finishing P3, his sixth top-five in the last seven races.
Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 NASCAR Cup series wins and nine Xfinity series wins. Stewart-Haas Racing and Harvick lead the owner and driver points standings in NCS and Cindric along with Team Penske lead the owner and driver points standing in the NXS.

Both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series will head to Daytona International Speedway to run the road course for the first time ever!

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 401 WINS – 357 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

CINDRIC SEALS THE DEAL IN THE DESERT WINNING HIS FIRST NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted on: November 9th, 2020
Location: post

AVONDALE, AZ – November 9, 2020 – Austin Cindric, in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang, made history by winning the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 race to seal the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Drivers’ and Owners’ Championship titles at Phoenix Raceway.
“Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger, and the entire Team Penske organization for winning the drivers’ and owners’ Xfinity championships,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This win marks Austin’s sixth win of the year in addition to his Xfinity Regular Season Championship clinched earlier this year while Chase Briscoe also won nine races during the 2020 season for a total of 15 Xfinity wins. Thanks, and congratulations to everyone at Ford Performance for their dedication, passion and leadership for our NASCAR racing programs and winning the NASCAR Cup Manufacturers’ Championship that included 18 wins for the season.”
During the final laps of the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 with Cindric leading, his crew chief and spotter reminded him to hit his marks and let him know he was clear in back, but then a late race caution came out. Crew chief Brian Wilson then made the call for Cindric to give up the lead and come in for four fresh tires.
Cindric would find himself lined up on the outside of the second row behind the leader, Justin Allgaier, going into overtime. The four fresh tires and the determination of the No. 22 driver proved to be the game changer. Cindric was able to drive his No. 22 Ford Mustang hard into the first corner and muscled his way through the middle of Allgaier and Noah Gragson. Cindric was able to pass both Allgaier and Gragson for the race win and clinch the championship. This marked Ford’s 100th Mustang Xfinity win and the 50th NXS win for Ford, Team Penske and Roush Yates Engines.
“Amazing effort by this 22 team,” remarked Cindric. “Brian Wilson and all the guys. Everyone back at the shop. There was a lot of work put into this race car. Roger Penske. Everyone from Penske Racing. It’s awesome to get them a championship in NASCAR, to be a champion in NASCAR, and do it in front of all these great people cheering us on at championship weekend. Ford Performance, Doug Yates, everybody at Roush Yates Engines. I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. I’m pretty humbled by the effort for sure.”
Cindric led 72-laps out of the extended 206 lap race while Stewart-Haas Racing’s, Chase Briscoe also drove a great race, winning Stage 1 and leading 41 laps to finish the race P9 and fourth in the championship. These two Ford teammates drove for a combined 15 wins out of the 33 races in 2020, which was the most for any manufacturer.
Team-Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski battled throughout the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race Sunday, leading a combined 141 laps out of the 312-lap race and winning Stage 1 and Stage 2 respectively. Keselowski would finish the race in P2 and Logano in P3.
There was a total of five Ford Mustangs that finished in the top-10, fellow Team-Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney finished P6 while NASCAR Cup Regular Season Champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick finished P7 and Wood Brothers Racing, Matt DiBenedetto finished P8.
This coming weekend we will wrap up the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series season with Seb Priaulx / Marco Signoretti piloting the No. 22 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 and James Pesek / Chad McCumbee piloting the No. 40 PF Racing Mustang in the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway.
30 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 412 WINS – 371 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images