Archive for the ‘2021 Press Releases’ Category

KESELOWSKI ONCE AGAIN FINDS VICTORY LANE AT TALLADEGA

Posted on: April 26th, 2021
Location: post

TALLADEGA, AL – April 26, 2021 – Brad Keselowski found victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway, marking his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and 35th of his career. This was Keselowski’s sixth overall win at Talladega, following up his last win from 2017.
“Congratulations to Brad, Jeremy, Roger and the No. 2 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “We really enjoy racing at the superspeedways and today was no exception. The Ford Performance teams worked well together throughout the race, and we are blessed to be part of the Ford Family, providing the horsepower for these fast Ford Mustangs.”
In Talladega fashion, it was anyone’s race to win in over-time, but the Ford Mustangs controlled the first three rows coming to the two-lap restart. On the last lap, the leader of the race and Stage 1 winner Matt DiBenedetto went to block a hard charging outside lane, leaving the No. 2 of Keselowski open air on the inside. Keselowski jumped on the opportunity to drive his Ford Mustang to the front and lead the last and most important lap of the race to take the checkered flag at Talladega. This marked Ford’s 31st win at the superspeedway, which includes 11 of the last 14 races.
“Merry Christmas,” commented Keselowski when asked about the last lap of the race. “What an awesome day today to bring the MoneyLion Ford Mustang into Victory Lane. The whole race I had a couple opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘Man, keep your car in one piece.’  We’ve been so close here and it just didn’t seem to want to come together here the last few years and I’ve been on kind of a four-year drought here, but it’s nice to get number six.”
Six fast Ford Mustangs finished in the top-10 at Talladega, including winner Keselowski, Michael McDowell P3, Kevin Harvick P4, Matt DiBenedetto P5, Ryan Blaney P9, Cole Custer rounded out the top-10 with a tenth-place finish.
In addition, the Ford Mustangs were running strong in the NASCAR Xfinity race on Saturday when the race was called for rain. The Xfinity driver points leader, Austin Cindric led 24 of the 90-lap race and finished P2, while Ford Performance teammates Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg finished P4 and P5 respectively.
The NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Kansas Speedway for the Buschy McBusch Race 400.
33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 418 WINS – 378 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

2022 NEXT GEN MUSTANG POISED TO HELP DRIVE NASCAR CUP SERIES INTO THE FUTURE WITH ALL-NEW TECHNOLOGY

Posted on: May 6th, 2021
Location: post

DEARBORN, MI – May 6, 2021 – A completely new era in stock car racing is ushered in today as Ford unveils its all-new 2022 NASCAR Next Gen Mustang to the public in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Next Gen Mustang will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series starting next season.

The new car, which has been under development for two years, is completely different from its predecessor – redesigned from the ground up. Unlike past versions, with the exterior being the only noticeable change, this model is built for the future, featuring flexibility for technological advances such as a hybrid or electric powertrain.

Front of blue Next Gen Mustang in the studio

The new race car more closely mirrors its Mustang production counterpart, which maintains its title as world’s best-selling sports car.

“A lot of work has been done behind the scenes to make sure this Next Gen Mustang remains relevant to our customers,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “As the automotive industry continues to change, we’ll have the ability to keep up in the racing world without having to go through a complete overhaul or redesign of the car. This is something we’ve been waiting for and we’re glad the time has finally arrived.”

Changes include rack-and-pinion steering, independent rear suspension and 18-inch tires with aluminum forged wheels. The all-new body features a wider stance, while a symmetric exterior shell, tail and smaller greenhouse area closely resemble the production Mustang.

Rear profile of blue Next Gen Mustang in the studio

Rear of blue Next Gen NASCAR Mustang in the studio

“This car is true to the Mustang brand and we have to thank the Ford design team for working hand-in-hand with our aerodynamic engineers to ensure it is competitive on the track, while maintaining unique Mustang styling,” said Rushbrook. “That requires a lot of give-and-take on both sides, but with the new smaller greenhouse area and shorter rear deck, we were able to do a lot of things to make sure there’s no mistaking this is a Mustang.”

Development of the new car took place both in Ford’s Dearborn design center and at the Ford Performance Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina, where Ford’s NASCAR scale model and aero teams are located. Extensive development continues on full-motion simulators at the technical center, where both racing and production car work takes place.

Fronts of the blue Next Gen Mustang and a blue production Mustang on the track

“Mustang is an iconic brand for Ford and when I saw the Next Gen Mustang in person for the first time I was pumped,” said Team Penske driver Joey Logano, the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion. “The aggressive look of the nose and the changes to the greenhouse and tail make the car more authentic to the street Mustang than ever before. I know the fans are going to love the Next Gen Mustang and I can’t wait to get it on the track.”

Mustang came to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 and has won at least 10 races each of its first two years, including a season-high 18 victories in 2020 that helped Ford win the manufacturers’ championship.

The NASCAR Next Gen Mustang makes its competition debut on Feb. 20, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway for the 64th annual Daytona 500.

Front of the blue Next Gen Mustang on the track

Go visit Ford Motor Company’s website to learn more about Mustang.

CINDRIC WINS AT DOVER

Posted on: May 17th, 2021
Location: post

DOVER, DE – May 17, 2021 – Austin Cindric worked his way through the field to win at Dover International Speedway, marking his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the 2021 season and extended his championship lead to 62 points over second place.
“Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger, and the entire No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Austin and Brian showcased their maturity and patience as they worked their race strategy and drove to the front of the field for the win. Dover is a unique and challenging track, but Austin was able to conquer the Monster Mile.”
Cindric started the race in 16th position, but was able to maneuver the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang through the field to finish Stage 1 in eighth, after a remarkable save on lap 44.  After four fresh tires, at the Stage 1 caution, he continued moving forward to finish Stage 2 in third place. On lap 150, Cindric passed the race leader and never looked back while finishing 3.786 in front of second place.
“There are just very few places that really have the same intensity throughout a lap,” commented Cindric. “It is quite challenging to race here. We were able to make it back from 16th starting position today which I knew would be our biggest challenge throughout the course of the race.”
Ford Performance teammates Ryan Sieg with RSS Racing finished P8 and Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing in P17.
The NASCAR Cup Series raced on Sunday while Ford Performance teammates Joey Logano with Team Penske finished P5, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing in P6, and Cole Custer with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P10.
The NASCAR Cup & Xfinity Series is headed for the inaugural Circuit of the Americas (COTA) race in Austin, Texas this weekend.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 419 WINS – 380 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 – 18 Teams – 81 Races

STARRETT AND ROUSH YATES ENGINES RENEW PARTNERSHIP

Posted on: June 2nd, 2021
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – June 2, 2021 – Roush Yates Engines and L.S. Starrett Co. are pleased to announce an extension of their partnership agreement.Since 2017 Roush Yates Engines and Starrett, located in Athol, Massachusetts, have teamed up to make one of the most successful metrology partnerships. For over 140 years, Starrett has been an industry leader in metrology tools and equipment. Starrett measuring and inspection devices are vital elements in our ability to deliver championship level products to our customers.
“Starrett’s brand is iconic and known world-wide. Their support to our race programs has provided competitive advantages to win races,” said Todd English, VP Strategic Partnerships and Marketing, Roush Yates Engines. “We rely on their employee’s workmanship in their manufacturing facilities in Athol and across the globe. We look forward to expanding our valued partnership and leveraging Starrett’s metrology hand tools, force measurement, vision measurement systems, and DataSure 4.0 to acquire metrology data.”
Starrett’s craftmanship and standard of quality is world-class, their accuracy and product performance exceed international standards. It is essential to have a partner that performs to this level of excellence when machining products for the motorsports, aerospace, defense, and industrial markets, where precision is critical.
We utilize a wide array of Starrett metrology equipment from hand gages and micrometers to top of the line Vision machines (AV450, HDV 400, AVR 300). In addition, force and material testers, are critical pieces of equipment for the development and analysis of automotive and motorsports components, giving us crucial information for making time sensitive decisions.
For collecting and recording precision data measurements, the DataSure® 4.0 system has been a recent addition to our metrology toolbox. This is the industry’s latest data acquisition solution from Starrett. Measurements are directly recorded into our quality database system. This wireless based system helps to streamline our data collection and eliminate multiple step processes.
“Starrett has been a partner like no other,” commented Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “We rely on their accuracy in both of our facilities. Whether it’s a part going to the track in a FR9 engine or components for the aerospace or defense markets, it’s a necessity to have the best equipment in the metrology business.”“Starrett is glad to work with a high demanding customer such as Roush Yates Engines, as they use precision with everything they do,” said Emerson Leme, Vice President Industrial Products North America of Starrett. “Starrett has been a long-standing premier supplier to Roush Yates Engines for many years and extending this partnership is a win for all of us.”

With a shared passion to deliver the best products to our customers, it is our honor to partner with Starrett and their experienced team to continue to build on our strong partnership we have built over the last four years.
About L.S. Starrett Co. (NYSE: SCX): 
The L.S. Starrett Co. was founded in 1880, in Athol, Massachusetts. Starrett, a leader who has set the standard for fine precision tools in the industry for over 140 years, has rightfully earned the title, “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”.Manufacturing more than 5,000 variations of precision tools, gages, measuring instruments and saw blades for industrial, professional and consumer markets worldwide. Starrett operates manufacturing locations and sales offices worldwide. For more information about L.S. Starrett visit Starrett.com

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, machining, building, and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder for 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. To learn more, go to: RoushYates.com

CINDRIC CONQUERS THE TRICKY TRIANGLE

Posted on: June 28th, 2021
Location: post

LONG POND, PA – June 27, 2021 – Austin Cindric worked his way through the field to win at Pocono Raceway, marking his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the 2021 season and further extending his championship lead to 101 points over second place.
“Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger, and the entire No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Austin and Brian demonstrated the power of strategy and execution to make their way to the front of the field and maintain the lead. Pocono is a unique and challenging track, but Austin was able to conquer the Tricky Triangle.”
Cindric started the race in 13th position but was able to maneuver the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang through the field and finish Stage 1 in fourth, after avoiding multiple incidents early in the race. The end of the race came down to fuel and pit strategy, combined with a long green-flag run that allowed Austin to maintain his lead and finish a half second in front of second place.
“You have to be good at everything and that is what this team has proven throughout the year. I am just the one that gets to drive these Ford Mustangs. I am excited about it. I had to execute in every facet and we had everything thrown at us today. I am super proud of this Car Shop Ford Mustang team. Everybody who partners up with us. To finally get one here,” commented Cindric.
Ford Performance teammates Ryan Sieg with RSS Racing finished P17 and Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing in P35.
The NASCAR Cup Series raced Saturday and Sunday at Pocono Raceway.  On Saturday, Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney finished P5 and Joey Logano P6, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing in P8, and Ford Performance teammate Brad Keselowski in P10.

During Sunday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 350, Ford Performance teammates Brad Keselowski with Team Penske finished P3, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing in P4, and Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney in P6 and Joey Logano in P10.
Chad McCumbee and James Pesek with PF Racing finished 15th in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at the 3.4 mile Watkins Glen road course this weekend.
The IMSA Pilot Challenge will return to Watkins Glen, New York this week while the NASCAR Cup & Xfinity Series is headed to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin this weekend.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 420 WINS – 382 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media, Getty Images & Wes Duenkel 

ALMIROLA WINS AND SECURES PLAYOFF SPOT

Posted on: July 19th, 2021
Location: post
LOUDON, NH – July 19, 2021 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines won their fourth straight NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola during the Foxwoods Casino 301. Almirola’s win marks number 3 of his career and guarantees him a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
“Congratulations to Aric, Mike, Tony, Gene, and the entire No. 10 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Ford Performance Teams ran strong at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and it was great to see 5 Mustangs finish in the top 6. Despite a delayed start and rain, Aric and Mike were able to make their way to the front of the field and take home a well-deserved checkered flag at the Magic Mile.”
Almirola started the race in 22nd position but was able to maneuver the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Ford Mustang through the field, avoiding a multi-car accident at the beginning of the race. An early rain delay brought darkness into play at the end of the race and the decision was made to end 8 laps early as a precaution. With only 15 of 37 drivers on the lead lap, Almirola was able to pass lapped traffic and finish just over half a second in front of second place.
“I’m so proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing, Roush Yates Engine Shop.  We have been fighting, scratching, clawing and, man, this feels so good to have something pay off for all the hard work, so just really happy” commented Almriola.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski led 53 laps to finish P3 and won Stage 2, Joey Logano in P4, and Ryan Blaney in P5 while leading 64 laps and winning Stage 1. Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing led a race high 66 laps and finished in P6.  In total, Ford Performance teams led 228 laps out of 293.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced on Saturday while Ford Performance teammates Austin Cindric with Team Penske finished P4, Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing in P10, and Ryan Sieg with RSS Racing in P13.
The NASCAR Cup & Xfinity Series take a two-week break for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and return on August 7th & 8th at Watkins Glen International.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 421 WINS – 382 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images.

Donnie Allison surprised by The Garage Shop

Posted on: August 3rd, 2021
Location: post

Witness the unveiling of The Garage Shop’s Ford Talladega powered by Roush Yates Engines and painted in tribute to Alabama Gang and NASCAR winning driver Donnie Allison.

A lot of work, planning and keeping it a secret from him went into this. Hear and see his reaction, plus hear from others who were part of this special project.

CINDRIC WINS AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Posted on: August 16th, 2021
Location: post
 
 
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – August 16, 2021 – Austin Cindric won in his home state of Indiana, marking his fifth win and first road course win of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
 

“Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger, and the entire No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “The road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a new and unique track with its own set of challenges. I am proud of Brian and Austin for a well-executed race and a monumental win for Roger Penske, Team Penske, and the Cindric family.

Cindric started the race in 2nd position and was able to maintain his spot at the front of the field avoiding a multiple car incident at the turtle in Turn 6 early in the race. After taking the lead in Stage 3, Cindric pulled away from the rest of the field and led a race high 29 out of 62 laps, winning the race by 2.108 seconds.

“I am so proud to be a part of this Penske family with PPG and Ford and everyone that has put so much into my career. This racetrack is so much deeper than just that with my family history and what this place means to me. I can’t even put into words what it means to win at Indianapolis,” commented Cindric.
Ford Performance teammate Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P8.

The NASCAR Cup Series raced on Sunday where Cindric also took home a 9th place finish. Ford teammates Ryan Blaney with Team Penske finished P2, Matt DiBenedetto with Wood Brothers Racing finished P5, and Ryan Newman with Roush Fenway Racing finished P10.
 

The NASCAR Cup & Xfinity Series is headed to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan this weekend. The NACAR Cup Series has two remaining races left before the 2021 playoffs stage is set.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 422 WINS – 383 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images.

BLANEY WINS AT MICHIGAN

Posted on: August 23rd, 2021
Location: post
BROOKLYN, MI – August 23, 2021 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines won their seventh straight NASCAR Cup race at Michigan International Speedway with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in the FireKeepers Casino 400. This was Blaney’s second win of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Season and Ford retained the Michigan Heritage Trophy, presented to the winning manufacturer at the 2-mile track.
“This is such a big deal for our company, for our employees,” said Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance. “To come here and race in front of all of our employees and their friends and families and have Ryan go get that win with Team Penske and Roush Yates power. We are taking the Heritage Trophy back to Dearborn.”

“Congratulations to Ford, Ryan, Todd, Roger, and the entire No. 12 crew for the strong finish and making it 7 wins in a row at Michigan,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “We have always strived to finish strong at Michigan and this year was no exception. We are thankful for the continued leadership and commitment from Ford Motor Company and honored to power these Mustangs.”
Blaney started the race in third position but was quickly shuffled to mid-pack at the start of the race. Blaney and the No. 12 team continued to make adjustments and finished stage 1 & 2 just outside of the top 10. There were 20 lead changes throughout the race and the last half of the race came down to pit strategy and race execution. With 20 laps remaining, there was a brief caution for rain and another following a 7-car incident with 14 to go. With 8 laps remaining, Blaney was able to take the lead and hold off the hard charging second position by 0.077 seconds.

“We come up here every year and know it is important to the Blue Oval and the Ford family and Mr. Penske as well. It is a really big race for all of our group including the Penske side. To have Edsel here, I haven’t seen Edsel in over a year so it was great to have him out. I am excited to get him in victory lane. Everyone from Ford does so much for us. It really is a big family and I am just happy to be a part of it.” commented Blaney.

Matt DiBenedetto with Wood Brothers Racing finished P6, Brad Keselowski with Team Penske in P9, and Chase Briscoe with Stewart-Haas Racing finished P11.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway while Ford Performance teammates finished in the top 12 as Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P7 and Ryan Sieg with RSS Racing finished P12.

NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series will race at Daytona International Speedway this upcoming weekend. This race will be the last regular season race for the Cup series while the Xfinity series has 4 remaining prior to the playoffs. Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, and Kevin Harvick have clinched a spot in the playoffs.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 423 WINS – 383 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images.

Front Row Motorsports 2021 Driver Announcement

Posted on: January 6th, 2021
Location: post

MOORESVILLE, NC – January 6, 2021 – Front Row Motorsports announced its driver and crew chief lineup for the 2021 NASCAR season, adding rookie hopeful Anthony Alfredo to its NASCAR Cup Series roster with returning veteran Michael McDowell.

The Bob Jenkins-owned organization will again field two full-time teams in the Cup Series, adding a third car for David Ragan for the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 14th.

Alfredo, nicknamed “Fast Pasta”, joins Front Row after running a majority of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season last year for Richard Childress Racing. The 21-year-old Connecticut native, who was a member of the 2018 NASCAR Next class, will be a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate competing in his first full NASCAR national series campaign, with his Cup Series debut set for next month’s Daytona 500.

Alfredo will be partnered with crew chief Seth Barbour, who first joined FRM’s Cup Series in 2017.

“This is really an unbelievable moment,” Alfredo said in a release provided by the team. “When you start out racing karts as a kid, you dream of making it to the sport’s top level. I want to thank Bob Jenkins and everyone at Front Row Motorsports for making this dream a reality. I know the challenges ahead, but I’m here to work hard and prove myself.”

McDowell will be back for his fourth consecutive season in Front Row’s No. 34 Ford, paired for a third straight year with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. The 36-year-old driver finished a career-best 23rd in the final Cup Series standings last year, bolstered by four top-10 results.

“Michael has really solidified his place as our veteran leader,” Jenkins said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that has helped us continue to grow our program.”

Ragan, 35, retired from full-time NASCAR competition after the 2019 campaign, but this year will mark his second straight one-off entry in the Daytona 500. Last season’s effort in The Great American Race yielded a fourth-place finish.

Ragan will again be paired with crew chief Derrick Finley in FRM’s No. 36 Ford. He has two NASCAR Cup Series victories, the most recent of which was Front Row’s first, scored in 2013 at Talladega Superspeedway.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 412 WINS – 371 POLES!

*Courtesy Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR