Archive for the ‘2020 Press Releases’ Category

FORD MUSTANGS SWEEP NASCAR CUP & XFINITY SERIES IN LAS VEGAS

Posted on: February 24th, 2020
Location: post

LAS VEGAS, NV – February 24, 2020 – Joey Logano and Matt DiBenedetto led Ford Performance to a 1-2 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 400. Logano piloted the Team Penske Pennzoil Mustang to Ford’s first win of 2020 while winning his 24th NASCAR Cup Series career race.
“Congratulations to Joey, Paul, Roger, and the No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “It was great to see these Ford Mustangs run so strong. Our guys drove a great race and happy to see Joey and Paul get their first win of the season. We {Roush Yates Engines} are proud to be part of the Ford Performance team and power these fast Ford Mustangs.”
After a late race caution, at lap 262, Logano missed the call to pit, which placed him in the lead for the restart and a two-lap shoot out. As they came to green, Logano received a big push from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. which pushed him to the lead. With the clean air, he was able to separate himself from the rest of the pack and take the white flag before another caution came out on the last lap, securing Logano back-to-back wins in Las Vegas with Ford Performance.
Logano commented in Victory Lane, “There was a little confusion, but it worked out really well. A lot of cars stayed out and that was key to that move. Winning the Pennzoil 400 with the Pennzoil car, this is huge. It means a lot to be able to do this two-years in a row winning this race. I’m proud of the effort everybody here behind me did today. They prepared a great car and executed the race perfectly and that’s what we wanted. We fought hard and tried to keep every spot we possibly could and then ultimately, oh man, being able to pull it into Victory Lane here.”
Ford has won four out of the last five races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Kevin Harvick (2018), Brad Keselowski (2018) and Logano (2019).

The Ford teams led a combined 165 laps out of the 267-lap race with a race high by Harvick of 92 followed by race winner, Logano with 54 and Team Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney with 19.

DiBenedetto drove the No. 21 Ford Mustang to a second-place finish with Wood Brothers Racing while Keselowski finished P7 and Harvick P8.
Ford also went 1-2 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Sunday. Chase Briscoe from Stewart-Haas Racing crossed the finish line first, leading 89 laps out of the 200-lap race, to win his third career NXS race while Austin Cindric from Team Penske came in second, leading a total of 39 laps.
“It’s nice to get a win early,” Briscoe commented in Victory Lane. “Obviously, we were hoping that we could get a win at some point in the year – we expected to – but to get it in our Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang before Phoenix is definitely nice just because we can go there and kind of try some stuff because I feel like that’s one place I need to get way better at. That being said, it’s nice to take the point lead. It doesn’t mean as much this early in the season, but it’s a good confidence booster and it goes a long way when you’re in that first garage stall with your guys.”
The Ford teams will take this momentum to Fontana, CA and the Auto Club Speedway later this week. Reference the full 2020 schedule on Roushyates.com.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 381 WINS – 356 POLES!

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR media

RYAN “BRONCO” BLANEY A THROWBACK ON AND OFF THE TRACK

Posted on: April 14th, 2020
Location: post

DEARBORN, MI – April 14, 2020 – If you ask Ryan Blaney what his favorite weekend is during the NASCAR season, there’s a good chance he’ll say Darlington.  Why? Because that’s become the traditional time when the sport looks back to its roots and celebrates a specific era in history.

It’s called “Throwback Weekend” and nobody in the Cup garage is more throwback than the 26-year-old Blaney.

While driving for the Wood Brothers in 2017, the team celebrated at Darlington by going back to it’s all white shirt and pants with traditional red lettering.  Likewise, Blaney’s uniform, with a splash of blue on the right breast and red and blue striping down the left side, reflected the same look that David Pearson wore with the organization in the 1970’s.  Blaney liked the look so much that he continued wearing the uniform for Motorcraft-sponsored races throughout the rest of that season.

And that throwback mentality doesn’t just go for uniforms, as Blaney has taken to the internet to find vintage hats, t-shirts and, yes, even vehicles.

“The vehicles are a little bit tougher to find because you have to find the right one and it’s more money than buying a t-shirt,” said Blaney, whose current daily driver is an F-250.  “You’ve got to do a lot of research on them and make sure you test drive them. I’ll never buy anything that I can’t go drive myself. If it’s in California and I can’t go drive it, I don’t really want to pull the trigger because the last thing you want is to buy something and then when it gets to your house there’s all this stuff wrong with it.”

Blaney’s latest prize is a 1988 red and white striped F-150 with a four-speed manual transmission he found in the Charlotte area.  The seller had put on only 25,000 miles and taken good care of it before putting it up for sale online.

“I just got lucky that this one was right in Concord and I was just browsing around.  I wasn’t browsing around to buy anything, I just like to look around to see what’s out there and this caught my eye,” said Blaney.  “I’ve always enjoyed those mid to late-eighties Ford trucks. I love their simplicity and it just speaks to what I enjoyed as a kid and as I get older I appreciate those cars even more.”

One of the vehicles Blaney has grown particularly fond of is the Bronco, which is scheduled to be re-introduced to dealer showrooms later this year.

“I’m pumped,” said Blaney of the impending debut.  “I’ve been on everyone at Ford telling them, ‘Make sure I’m on the list, and my dad wants one too.’  I don’t know why the Bronco has always stood out to me. It’s just a unique truck, and I love they’re coming back with it. I’ve been counting down the days and months to when it comes out, and I think they’re gonna be great.”

That, however, won’t be the only Bronco in his personal stable because two years ago he found a 1985 model in Abingdon, VA, where the original owner had it for 33 years.  Blaney said he hoped to “keep it for another 33.”

“I appreciate the ones that have the original engine, original transmission.  If you’ve got to replace that stuff, you’ve got to replace that stuff. Everything has a life span, but you try to take the best care of it that you can,” said Blaney about what he looks for in a throwback vehicle.  “You want to buy it from someone who has taken great care of it. I really appreciate somebody who does that because I try to do the best I can taking care of mine, especially when it comes to something that has that much history and has been around for so long.

“Some guys like buying old cars and putting a big engine in there and things like that, but it’s just not really me.  I don’t really have a need for speed on the road,” continued Blaney. “I don’t really want a big monster motor and have a vintage car.  I’d just rather have them bone stock. You’ll have your troubles and issues that you have to fix from time to time, but that’s with anything.”

Earlier this year, his Ryan Blaney Family Foundation spearheaded a project in which a custom-built 1974 ‘Blaney Bronco’ was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, AZ, for a Bronco-record $650,000.  All proceeds went to the Alzheimer’s Association.

So, while he anxiously looks toward the future, it’s always with at least one eye on the past.

“I can’t wait to park my brand new one next to my ’85,” Blaney said.  “That’s gonna be pretty cool.”

*Courtesy Ford Performance

BLANEY WINS BACK-TO-BACK RACES AT TALLADEGA

Posted on: June 23rd, 2020
Location: post

Lincoln, AL – June 23, 2020 – Ryan Blaney wins the Geico 500 by 0.007 of a second in a thrilling overtime finish at Talladega Superspeedway! This win marks Ford’s and Roush Yates Engines’ ninth win out of the last ten races and Blaney’s second win in a row at NASCAR’s largest track.
“What a finish! Winning at Talladega is always special to my family and the entire Roush Yates organization,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Congratulations to Ryan, Todd, Roger and the entire No. 12 team. To have all three Team Penske drivers win a race and to be in playoff position is a great accomplishment. It’s a testament to all their hard work.”
Rain showers pushed back the Geico 500 to a Monday afternoon shootout, but just 57 laps in, the rain halted the race. After nearly an hour rain delay, the drivers were called back to their cars. The green flag waved and all three Team Penske Ford Mustangs and its Wood Brothers affiliate dominated the middle portion of the race and remained in control entering the final stage.

With laps winding down in the final stage, many drivers were asked to save fuel to make it to the end, until there was a late race caution that gave some teams the break they needed to make it to the checkered flag. Ryan Blaney lined up first with Kevin Harvick in second and Chris Buescher third. Blaney described the moment as “just biding your time and hoping you saved enough.”

The last two laps were filled with lane changes, bumps and runs! Harvick took the white flag with Buescher and Blaney on his rear bumper. Coming into turn three, there was a multiple car wreck mid-pack, but the leaders were still racing to the finish. Blaney dove down into turn four and got the lead while the field behind him was three-wide. Blaney used the entire width of the racetrack to maintain the top spot. The No. 12 Ford Mustang crossed the line first, ahead of a hard charging Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
“I’m really proud of this whole Menards/Sylvania Ford Mustang team,” commented Blaney. “It’s been a cool year so far and I’m really excited to get our first win of the year at a cool place.”
Five Fords finished inside the top ten with Aric Almirola spinning across the finish line in P3, Buescher P6, John Hunter Nemechek in P8, and Kevin Harvick in P10. Fast Fords led a race high of 104 of the 191 laps and maintain the manufacture points lead with seven wins in the 2020 season.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series also took on the high banks of Talladega this past weekend for the Unhinged 300. Austin Cindric drove a clean, impressive race and finished P4. Chase Briscoe won stage two, but unfortunately suffered crash damage and finished P18. Briscoe sits second and Cindric sits third in driver points standings.

NASCAR heads to Pocono Raceway for a triple-header this weekend. The Cup series will race Saturday afternoon, June 27th and return to the track on Sunday, June 28th with the Xfinity Series for back-to-back races.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 389 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

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

KESELOWSKI’S 5TH PLACE PACES FORD AT AUTO CLUB

Posted on: March 4th, 2020
Location: post

FONTANA, CA- March 3, 2020 –  Ryan Blaney was in contention for the third straight week, leading 54 laps — second only to eventual race winner Alex Bowman — and winning the second stage. But Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford was forced to pit road with a tire issue with three laps left in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.

Blaney finished 19th, one lap off the pace.

Clint Bowyer started from the pole position and led the opening 11 laps, but a flat tire on his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford forced a caution flag on Lap 92. He finished 23rd.

In all, Ford finished with three Mustangs inside the top-10, paced by Brad Keselowski who used a late charge to take home a fifth place finish. He was joined by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola (8th) and Kevin Harvick (9th).

Ross Chastain finished 17th in his second race filling in for the injured Ryan Newman in the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford.

MENCS RACE TOP-10 FINISHERS
1st – Alex Bowman
2nd – Kyle Busch
3rd – Kurt Busch
4th – Chase Elliott
5th – Brad Keselowski
6th – Denny Hamlin
7th – Jimmie Johnson
8th – Aric Almirola
9th – Kevin Harvick

10th – Erik Jones

REMAINING FORD FINISHERS
12th – Joey Logano
13th – Matt DiBenedetto
16th – Chris Buescher
17th – Ross Chastain
18th – Cole Custer
19th – Ryan Blaney
22nd – Michael McDowell
23rd – Clint Bowyer
25th – John Hunter Nemechek
29th – Corey LaJoie

Brad Keselowski, No. 2 America’s Tire Ford Mustang – FINISHED 5th
“We had a good run today with the Discount Tire Ford. We ran fifth, which isn’t bad. There were some highlights. We were able to drive through the field there a couple times. The car had a lot of long run speed. We never had the speed the 88 had through the whole weekend but we fought really hard and scored a lot of points today to dig us out of a hole we had from early on in the season. There were a lot of positives.”

“I think we executed really well today. I probably could have done a little better on one of the early restarts, but other than that the team did really good.”

Aric Almirola, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – FINISHED 8th
“I have to clean up some things and we have to clean up some things as a team. I thought we had a top-five car and we just kept giving away all of our track position. We have to do better, but we are building and we got a top-10 and we will take that and move on. I think we have a lot of potential. I think Bugga and all the guys did a great job with the car and I felt like we had a top-10 car going into today and we proved that. We ran in the top-10 most of the day but I feel like with track position and a few other things going a little better, a little smoother, we could have had a lot better result. Overall, it was still a decent day and we will take the points and move on.”

Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang – FINISHED 9th
“We just didn’t have a very good weekend. This place wasn’t very good for us last year either. I am just having a hard time getting the car to be balanced all the way through the corner. I think as you look at it, we didn’t have a ninth-place car either, we just had a great day on pit road. Those guys did a phenomenal job on pit road and that kept us in the game.”

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 BodyArmor Ford Mustang – FINISHED 19th
YOU LED 54 LAPS AND HAD TO PIT LATE WHILE RUNNING SECOND, CAN YOU TAKE ANYTHING POSITIVE AWAY FROM TODAY?

“Yeah, we led a little bit and ran pretty good, we just corded a right rear at the end. We lost the lead there at the beginning of the third stage and kind of got swallowed up and the 88 got away and got gone. We needed to be in front of him. It is just the way it goes sometimes.”

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

2021 FORD NASCAR HALL OF FAME NOMINEES

Posted on: April 15th, 2020
Location: post

DEARBORN, MI – April 15, 2020 – NASCAR announced the 15 finalists for consideration as part of the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction Class on Tuesday.  Five of those men have Ford Motor Company ties, four of whom appear on the Modern-Era ballot and one on the Pioneer Ballot.

Those on the 10-member Modern Era ballot include Ricky Rudd, the sport’s Iron Man, who had 23 wins in more than 900 starts, including stints with Bud Moore, the Wood Brothers and as an owner/driver, and Neil Bonnett, who won nine times with Ford and the Wood Brothers during a four-year run from 1979-82.  First time nominees are former Roush Fenway drivers Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards.  Burton won 17 times in the Cup Series with Roush from 1996-2004 and added 16 more victories in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.  Edwards won the 2007 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship with Roush and Ford while combining to win 61 races in NASCAR’s top two series from 2004-2014.

The Pioneer Ballot is led by Ralph Moody, former co-owner of the Holman-Moody Ford factory team of the 1960’s that put the manufacturer on the NASCAR map.

Two members from the Modern-Era ballot and one from the Pioneer Ballot will be selected later this year as the NASCAR Hall of Fame goes from five annual inductees to three.

JEFF BURTON

Jeff Burton became the first teammate of NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin when he joined owner Jack Roush in 1996 to form a two-car operation.  Burton won his first career Cup Series race in the inaugural event at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997 and went on to post 17 of his 21 career victories with the organization.

Burton, won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 1999 and the Coca-Cola 600 in 2001, and had four consecutive seasons where he finished fifth or better in the final point standings.  He also holds the distinction of being the last driver to lead every lap in a Cup Series event when he led wire-to-wire at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000.

NEIL BONNETT

Neil Bonnett won 18 times during a 20-year career with nine of those coming in Ford Motor Company products.  Each of those wins came during a four-year span driving for the Wood Brothers from 1979-82.  He won five times driving a Mercury in 1979 and 1980 before winning four more events behind the wheel of a Ford in 1981 and 1982.  During that time he won two of the sport’s biggest races, capturing the 1981 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and the 1982 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Bonnett won on every type of track NASCAR offered during his career, capturing one win each at the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega while dominating tracks like Rockingham and Atlanta, where he won three times apiece.

CARL EDWARDS

Carl Edwards drove for Ford and Roush Fenway Racing from 2004-14 and ran full-time in the NASCAR Cup and XFINITY Series for seven of those seasons.  He sits third in the all-time Ford record book for most wins in NASCAR’s top three series combined with 67 (23 NCS, 38 NXS, 6 NGOTS), trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin (89) and David Pearson (73).

Edwards won the 2007 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship and finished second in the 2011 Cup standings by virtue of a tiebreaker.  He became the first driver in history to register his first wins in the NASCAR Cup and XFINITY Series on the same weekend when he won both events at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 2005.  And he instantly became a fan favorite with his patented back flip, which he displayed after registering Mustang’s first NXS win in April 2011.

RICKY RUDD

There may be drivers who have won more races, but when it comes to pure toughness it’s hard to put anyone above Ricky Rudd.  Whether it was putting tape over his eyelids after a harrowing crash at Daytona or surviving burns to his backside during a sweltering day at Martinsville, Rudd continually showed what made him a NASCAR staple from 1975-2007.

He set the sport’s all-time record for consecutive starts at 788 – starting every race from 1981-2005 – until Jeff Gordon broke it in 2015, and ranks second on NASCAR’s list for career starts with 906.  Rudd registered 23 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories and went to victory lane 15 times with Ford.  His biggest win undoubtedly came in the 1997 Brickyard 400 during a stretch where he filled the dual roles as owner and driver.  His success and consistency are also remembered by the fact he had a streak of at least one series triumph for 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98).

RALPH MOODY

As one half of the famed Holman-Moody Ford factory-backed team of the 1960’s, Ralph Moody helped produce some of the most recognized names in the sport.  It’s the place where NASCAR Hall of Famers Robert Yates and Waddell Wilson honed their engine-building skills and where legendary drivers like Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti, Jim Clark, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Junior Johnson, Parnelli Jones, Fred Lorenzen, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Bobby Unser, Joe Weatherly, and Cale Yarborough took turns behind the wheel.

Moody was responsible for providing the engines that powered the fast Ford of Pearson to consecutive championships in 1968 and 1969 in what is now known as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.  Overall, the organization won 96 races and in 525 all-time starts finished in the top 5 a total of 284 times (54 percent).

*Courtesy of Ford Performance

What You Need To Know About Pocono _ Let’s Do It Again

Posted on: June 25th, 2020
Location: post

LONG POND, PA – June 25, 2020 – A doubleheader is on tap for the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend at Pocono Raceway with a 325-mile race scheduled for Saturday and a 350-mile event on Sunday.  In addition, the NASCAR RV & Gander Outdoors Truck Series (Saturday) and NASCAR XFINITY Series (Sunday) will also be in action.  Here’s a look at some of  the highlights heading into Pocono.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT POCONO

  • Ford has 23 all-time series wins at Pocono.
  • The last two Ford wins at Pocono have been by first-time series winners – Chris Buescher (2016) and Ryan Blaney (2017).
  • Bill Elliott got Ford’s first series win at Pocono in 1985 (season sweep).

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT POCONO

  • Ford is the first manufacturer with multiple Pocono wins in the series.
  • Ford has 2 victories in 4 all-time series starts.
  • Those victories have been by Brad Keselowski (2017) and Cole Custer (2019).

FORD IN THE GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT POCONO

  • Ford has 1 series win at Pocono (Ryan Blaney, 2013).
  • Ben Rhodes has one series pole (2017).
  • This will mark the 11th series race at the track.

SEVEN AND COUNTING…
Ryan Blaney’s Cup victory yesterday at Talladega Superspeedway continued Ford’s dominance at the track and increased its win total to a manufacturer-best seven this season.  Ford, which has won 9 of the last 10 NCS races at Talladega, has now seen all three Team Penske drivers win at least once as the series heads to Pocono Raceway.  Ford also holds down the top three spots in the point standings as Kevin Harvick holds a 23-point lead over second-place Joey Logano and 25 points over Blaney in third.  Ford also extended its lead in the manufacturer standings to 32 points after 13 races this season.

BLANEY GETS FIRST CUP VICTORY
Ryan Blaney earned his first NASCAR Cup Series two years ago at Pocono Raceway, giving the Wood Brothers their 99th all-time series win.  Blaney held off Kevin Harvick over the final seven laps to win the Pocono 400 after overcoming a loose wheel only 19 laps into the event.  He found himself in position to win after the caution came out with 19 laps to go.  Kyle Busch opted to stay out while all of the other contenders behind him pitted, including Blaney who got four fresh tires and restarted fourth.  A major battle between Busch and Blaney resulted, but the newer tires proved to be too much as Blaney eventually got by with nine laps to go.  He couldn’t breathe easily, however, as Harvick started to reel him in, but could never pull alongside to challenge.

ELLIOTT SWEEPS IN 1985
Ford reached victory lane at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time on June 9, 1985 when Bill Elliott beat Harry Gant to win the Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500.  Elliott was able to pass Gant with 11 laps remaining, shortly after a restart, to claim Ford’s first win at the facility.  Elliott, who also started on the pole, was helped by four cautions over the final 25 laps and won for the sixth time as he led 32 of the 200 circuits.  It marked the front end of what would eventually be a season sweep for Elliott at Pocono as he won a few weeks later on July 21.

KULWICKI’S FINAL WIN
Nobody knew it at the time, but when Alan Kulwicki won the Champion Spark Plug 500 on June 14, 1992 it marked the final victory of his career.  Kulwicki, who was voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last week, passed Bill Elliott with 11 laps remaining to cap a day that saw 15 cars drop out before the checkered flag flew, including 11 engine failures.  In a precursor to what happened a few months later at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kulwicki and Elliott battled down the stretch as they exchanged the lead multiple times over the final 25 laps.  Kulwicki passed Elliott for the top spot on lap 181, but traffic slowed him down to the point that five laps later the two swapped positions.  Mark Martin made it a three-way battle, but Kulwicki ultimately prevailed as he got by both drivers on lap 190 and never looked back.  Kulwicki, who won five series races overall, went on to win the championship later that year over fellow Ford drivers Elliott and Davey Allison.

WALLACE HOT STREAK
Rusty Wallace was in his first season with Ford after car owner Roger Penske decided to switch from Pontiac for the 1994 NASCAR Cup Series season.  That decision paid immediate dividends as Wallace went on to win eight times that year, including the UAW-GM Teamwork 500 at Pocono on June 12.  The victory, his second straight in a streak that eventually grew to three with another triumph at Michigan a few days later, was a dramatic one as he passed Dale Earnhardt on the final lap.   The two waged a major battle as Earnhardt grabbed the lead with five laps to go, only to see Wallace fight back after the white flag flew to win by 0.28 seconds.

BIFFLE SNAPS DROUGHT
When Greg Biffle won the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono on Aug. 1, 2010 it snapped a 65-race winless drought and gave Ford its first win of the season.  Biffle found himself next to Sam Hornish Jr. on the front row of a restart with 20 laps to go and after he was able to gain the lead through the tunnel turn, he never looked back and ended up beating Tony Stewart to the finish line by more than three seconds.  The win was the first of two for Biffle that season as he also took the checkered flag at Kansas two months later.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT POCONO
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1988 – Bill Elliott (2)
1989 – Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott
1990 – Geoffrey Bodine (2)
1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)
1994 – Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine
1995 – Dale Jarrett (2)
1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)
1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)
1998 – Jeremy Mayfield (1)
2000 – Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace
2001 – Ricky Rudd (1)
2002 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2005 – Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2010 – Greg Biffle (2)
2016 – Chris Buescher (2)
2017 – Ryan Blaney (1)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT POCONO
2017 – Brad Keselowski
2019 – Cole Custer

FORD GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT POCONO
2013 – Ryan Blaney

*Courtesy 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

THIS WEEKEND AT PHOENIX RACEWAY

Posted on: March 4th, 2020
Location: post

PHOENIX, AZ – March 4, 2020

 

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR AT PHOENIX 

NASCAR’s three-week western swing concludes at Phoenix Raceway, where the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Cup Series will be competing.  Ford has a combined 29 wins in NASCAR’s top two series and has swept the weekend five times (2000, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2018).  Here’s a look at Ford’s history at Phoenix.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT PHOENIX

  • Ford has 16 series wins at Phoenix Raceway.
  • Alan Kulwicki won the first series race at Phoenix Raceway in 1988.
  • Current Ford drivers Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman have series wins.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT PHOENIX

  • Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 series wins at Phoenix Raceway.
  • Jack Roush is second for most owner wins in the series with eight.
  • Carl Edwards won four times in the series, most among Ford drivers.

FORD IN THE STANDINGS

Ford holds down two of the top three spots in all three of NASCAR’s top touring divisions going into this weekend.  Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are first and second, respectively, in the NASCAR Cup Series while Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric are second and third in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.  The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will be off for a second consecutive week, meaning Johnny Sauter (second) and Ben Rhodes (third) hold their positions until returning to action in Atlanta.

HARVICK LOVES PHOENIX

Kevin Harvick holds the record with nine career NASCAR Cup Series wins at Phoenix Raceway with his latest coming in 2018.  That victory marks the last time Ford has been in Victory Lane at the one-mile track and for Harvick it represented his third straight series win, following triumphs in Atlanta and Las Vegas.  Harvick took the lead for good with 22 laps remaining, but had to hold off Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott in the closing laps.  The win was Harvick’s 40th as he became the first Cup driver to win three straight since Joey Logano swept the Round of 12 in the 2015 NASCAR playoffs.

LOGANO QUALIFIES FOR 2016 CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE

Joey Logano needed a victory at Phoenix in 2016 in order to assure he would be one of the four drivers eligible for the series championship, and he got it in dramatic fashion as he beat Kyle Busch on a green-white-checker finish.  The dramatic restart came about after an incident involving Alex Bowman, Busch and Matt Kenseth on the first overtime attempt.  Kenseth was the leader, but he got collected in an accident when Bowman tried to block Busch from passing on the inside lane going into turn one.  The resulting yellow enabled Logano to win for the third time in 2016.

EDWARDS ENDS DROUGHT

When Ford went to victory lane at Phoenix in the second race of 2013, it snapped a 70-race winless drought for Carl Edwards, whose previous victory came in Las Vegas in 2011.  Edwards led 122 of 312 laps, including the final 78, to win the, but there were anxious moments, particularly at the end when a green-white-checker finish had most of the leaders wondering if they had enough gas in the tank to reach the end.  Edwards did and managed to beat Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the finish line.

BUSCH WINS DEBUT NIGHT RACE

Kurt Busch made Phoenix Raceway history when he drove his No. 97 Irwin/Sharpie Ford Taurus to victory in the first NCS night race held at the track on Apr. 23, 2005.  Busch dominated from the start as he led 132 of the first 133 laps, and while others like Brian Vickers and Michael Waltrip led multiple laps at different stages of the event, it was Busch who proved to be too strong down the stretch.  He passed Waltrip with 44 laps to go and was never threatened again as he won by 2.315 seconds.  Busch led 219 of the 312 laps as Phoenix hosted the first of two annual Cup dates each season for the first time.

KULWICKI WINS FIRST CUP RACE IN PHOENIX OPENER

Alan Kulwicki, driving the No. 7 Zerex Ford, won his first NASCAR Cup Series race in the debut event at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 6, 1988.  Kulwicki, who celebrated by taking a Polish Victory Lap for which he is still remembered for today, passed leader Ricky Rudd with 16 laps to go and ended up taking the checkered flag in his 85th start by 18 seconds over runner-up Terry Labonte.  Fellow Ford drivers Davey Allison and Bill Elliott finished third and fourth, respectively.  Kulwicki, who ended up leading four times for 41 laps in taking the next-to-last event of the season, went on to win four more Cup races during his career.

WALLACE RAINS IN 1998

Rusty Wallace had only three more chances to keep his streak of winning at least one race a season alive when he rolled into Phoenix Raceway in 1998.  He had gone to victory lane in each of the previous 12 seasons and didn’t want to see it come to an end, so that’s why what he did on Oct. 25 was so impressive.  Wallace, who started sixth, made a beeline to the front and pretty much stayed there all afternoon until rain came and halted the race after 257 laps.  The event was eventually called, marking the first rain-shortened race in the track’s NASCAR history, but there was no doubt Wallace deserved the win.  He led 196 of the 257 laps, including the final 73.  Wallace’s streak eventually reached 16 seasons before it was snapped in 2002.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT PHOENIX RACEWAY

1988 – Alan Kulwicki

1989 – Bill Elliott

1991 – Davey Allison

1992 – Davey Allison

1993 – Mark Martin

1995 – Ricky Rudd

1997 – Dale Jarrett

1998 – Rusty Wallace

2000 – Jeff Burton

2001 – Jeff Burton

2002 – Matt Kenseth

2005 – Kurt Busch (1)

2010 – Carl Edwards (2)

2013 – Carl Edwards (1)

2016 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (1)

 

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT PHOENIX RACEWAY

2000 – Jeff Burton

2001 – Greg Biffle

2003 – Bobby Hamilton Jr.

2005 – Greg Biffle (1) and Carl Edwards (2)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2008 – Carl Edwards (2)

2009 – Greg Biffle (1) and Carl Edwards (2)

2010 – Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (1)

2018 – Brad Keselowski (1)

All broadcast times are EST.

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series

Saturday, Mar. 7
2:35 P.M. Qualifying, on FS1, MRN

Sunday, Mar. 8 
3:30 P.M. FanShield 500, on FOX, MRN

***

NASCAR XFINITY Series 

Saturday, Mar. 7
1:05 P.M. Qualifying, on FS1
4:00 P.M. LS Tractor 200, on FS1, MRN

*Courtesy Ford Performance

ROUSH YATES COLLABORATES WITH BIOMEDINNOVATIONS FOR VENTILATORS

Posted on: April 16th, 2020
Location: post
MOORESVILLE, NC – April 16, 2020 – Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions is proud to be working in collaboration with BioMedInnovations LLC and their partners Equilibar on the development and production of specialized ventilators to help address the mounting need for life-saving health care equipment.

BioMedInnovations (BMI) was founded in 2005 to commercialize a highly controllable, low flow, low pressure fluid technology primarily targeting organ transplantation, working on how to keep an organ “alive” outside the body and to assess organ health prior to implantation in a recipient. BMI has been engaged in research and development and recently received a small-business award from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center for assistance in pivoting toward commercialization of BMI’s fluid perfusion technology.

* Prototype SuppleVentTM ventilator
“In these last few weeks, we have looked for various ways to support our health care systems and country during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Our talented employees are looking forward to working with BioMedInnovations and Equilibar to produce precision components and aid in the assembly of these high-tech SuppleVentTM ventilators.”

Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions (RYMS) is an 88,000 square foot climate-controlled facility that is AS9100 certified as well as ITAR and NIST registered. Our world-class CNC machining facility is equipped with premier CNC equipment that will provide the precision and versatility necessary to deliver quality components to BioMedInnovations and the medical industry.

RYMS has been working with BioMedInnovations and Equilibar for several weeks, optimizing production designs and materials to enable these components to serve as building blocks for this medical ventilator system. Our technical team also collaborated with Equilibar to produce rapid prototypes to assist in expediting the development process.
Located near Asheville, NC, Equilibar is an engineering and manufacturing company that specializes in fluid control technology for complex research and industrial applications. Its patented valves and back pressure regulators are uniquely well suited for aerospace, fuel cell testing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, catalysis research and other demanding markets.

The Roush Yates team continues to work closely with both companies to also develop and provide skilled resources to develop a high-tech assembly area for these devices. We hope that these efforts will help contribute to the ongoing global effort to increase the supply of life-saving devices.

For more information about our capabilities and how we can help you, please visit us at RoushYatesMfg.com or contact us at 704.662.7165 or RYMSales@roushyates.com.

About Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions:

Roush Yates Engines was formed in 2003 by Robert Yates, Jack Roush, and Doug Yates with the leadership of Ford Motor Company to create a world-class race engine company that would compete at the highest levels of the Motorsports Industry.

Out of the passion for power and performance excellence, Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions was formed.  Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions machines high performance engine components to support engine design, development, and production. Although rooted in motorsports and automotive industries, Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions has leveraged their passion for CNC manufacturing excellence into machining components for the aerospace, defense, medical, industrial, and automotive industries.

We have created a world-class facility, staffed by a diversified professional team from the aerospace, defense, motorsports, power generation, and industrial sectors from around the United States.

Our dedication to quality is exhibited by our commitment to AS9100 Rev D certification and ITAR registration standards.  This is paramount to our continued success and growth.