Archive for the ‘2021 Press Releases’ Category

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 

 

BLANEY WINS TWO IN A ROW, PLAYOFF FIELD SET

Posted on: August 30th, 2021
Location: post
DAYTONA, FL – August 30, 2021 – Ryan Blaney won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Saturday night, marking his second win in a row after his victory at Michigan. Saturday’s Daytona night race concluded the regular NASCAR Cup Series season and a total of 16 drivers will advance to the playoffs next week at Darlington.
“Congratulations to Ryan, Todd, Roger, and the entire No. 12 crew on two wins in a row and finishing out the regular season strong,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This was a battle to the end, but Ryan and Todd were able to navigate through the field and earn the well-deserved checkered flag.”
“Momentum is what everything is all about.  Confidence is key and we came into this weekend very confident after last week with our heads held high.  They’ll be a little bit higher this week, so I look forward to getting to Darlington,” commented Blaney.
Ryan Newman with Roush Fenway Racing finished P3, B.J. McLeod with Live Fast Motorsports finished P9, and Josh Bilicki with Rick Ware Racing finished P10.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway while two Ford Performance teammates finished in the top 15 as Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P10 and Jason White with Ryan-Sieg Racing finished P15.
POWERING THE PLAYOFFS
Six drivers powered by Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup series playoffs: Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, and Kevin Harvick.
RYAN BLANEY – TIED FOR 2ND 
Ryan Blaney earned his spot in the playoffs after winning at Atlanta, Michigan, and this past weekend at Daytona. This year marks his 5th consecutive season in the playoffs. Earlier in the year, Blaney led 157 of 500 laps at Martinsville and looks forward to leveraging his knowledge and success at this track on October 31st.  Blaney also has won at Talladega and looks forward to this superspeedway race on October 3rd.

JOEY LOGANO – #9

Joey Logano earned a spot in the playoffs after winning the inaugural race at the Bristol Dirt track in March. This year he has had 8 Top 5’s and 13 Top 10’s. Logano is a 27-time Cup winner and previous NCS champion. He is one of only a handful of drivers with at least four Championship 4 appearances and aims to advance this year as well.
BRAD KESELOWSKI – #10

Brad Keselowski earned his spot in the playoffs after winning at Talladega in April. Keselowski has had a lot of success at Talladega: this track marked his first Cup series win and a total of 6 wins at this track. He looks to use this experience when the series visits on October 3rd. In total, Brad has 35 Cup series victories and has been to the playoffs 9 times in the past 10 years. After finishing 2nd at last year’s championship, Brad is eager to take another swing at the top spot this year.
Our team at Roush Yates Engines succeeds with support from our
world-class partners. 
MICHAEL MCDOWELL – TIED FOR 12TH
Michael McDowell earned his spot after capturing a win at the Daytona 500 season-opener in February. This win marked the first time that a Ford Mustang won the infamous race. 2021 marks his 14th season in the Cup series and winning one of the series’ biggest races was a defining moment in his career. McDowell is fast at superspeedways and road courses and looks forward to racing at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval in the playoffs.
ARIC ALMIROLA – TIED FOR 12TH

Aric Almirola shook up the playoff picture late in the season by winning at New Hampshire and clinched his playoff spot. This year marks his 4th year in the playoffs after making it 3 years in a row in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Almirola has been fast at superspeedways with 8 consecutive top 10’s at Talladega and looks to use his experience when the series visits the track.
KEVIN HARVICK – #16

Kevin Harvick clinched his playoff spot based on points. Harvick has 119 combined series wins which makes him 3rd all-time in NASCAR history. Last year, he won a career-high 9 races and led over 1500 laps. He was the top seeded driver heading into the playoffs last year and will use that experience to his advantage. This year, he has had 6 top 5 finishes and 16 top 10 finishes. Harvick holds the all-time record for Cup series wins at Phoenix and looks forward to the playoff-closing race.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 424 WINS – 383 POLES!
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