DAYTONA BEACH, FL. (Jan. 22, 2022) – A quartet of NASCAR young guns will leave their stock cars at home to compete in upcoming IMSA sports car events at Daytona International Speedway to open the 2022 season.

Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe and Hailie Deegan – all part of the Ford Performance program in NASCAR – will pair up in two Ford Mustang GT4s for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season opener, the BMW M Endurance Challenge on Jan. 28. A day later, Cindric will step into the No. 15 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 and race in the new GTD PRO class at the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona, which tips off the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar.

Cindric and Burton will share the No. 41 PF Racing Mustang for the Michelin Pilot Challenge race, with Briscoe and Deegan in the No. 42 Mustang from the same stable. The goal for all four drivers is to gain valuable road course experience prior to embarking on their NASCAR seasons – the Camping World Truck Series for Deegan and the Cup Series for other three.

Cindric, the NASCAR Xfinity Series champion in 2020 who’ll be a Cup Series rookie this year with Team Penske, is no stranger to IMSA racing. The 22-year-old has been in 16 Michelin Pilot Challenge races with two wins and has six WeatherTech Championship races under his belt.

For Burton, 21-year-old driver of the Wood Brothers Racing Ford in NASCAR and the son of former NASCAR driver and current NBC Sports race analyst Jeff Burton, it will be a new experience on Daytona’s 3.56-mile course.

“I’ve had these conversations with my friends at Ford and at the Wood Brothers and at Penske. The one thing I wanted to work on to be better was (to) be a better road racer,” Harrison Burton said. “To have an opportunity to do that right off the bat is awesome and credit to them for being committed to helping me get better. That’s really all a driver can ask for.”

The drivers have the blessings of their teams to venture out of their regular workspace to compete at Daytona.

“We want to be flexible,” said Walter Czarnecki, vice chairman, Team Penske. “We want to give them opportunities to expand their skill set.”

The foursome will get plenty of seat time at Daytona to do so. It began Friday with three days of testing for both IMSA series at the Roar Before the Rolex 24. In Friday’s second session, Cindric was seventh fastest among the 30 cars in the Grand Sport (GS) class with a lap of 1 minute, 54.027 seconds (112.394 mph), while Briscoe was 12th at 1:54.367 (112.060 mph).

“That’s one thing that I’ve really buckled down and said for this 2022 year, that I just need to get as much seat time as I can, whether it’s in dirt, circle track stuff, whatever I can drive,” said Deegan, 20, who returns to David Gilliland Racing for a second trucks season in ‘22. “I just want to get in and get more experience and I feel like one thing I could improve on – I can improve on a lot of things – but I feel like one thing that really is coming up more in the NASCAR world is road course races. I feel like being able to race any type of road course is, I think, just going to better me as a driver.”

It will be a reunion for Deegan and Briscoe, who shared a Mustang for the Daytona race in 2020. Briscoe, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series this season, is looking forward to the seat time and to seeing how Deegan has improved in the two years since they drove together.

“The last time we were there was the first time she’d ever ran anything on a road course,” Briscoe, 27, said. “Now to go back with her, she’s probably ran three or four truck races now (on road courses) and has run some other IMSA stuff, so it’ll be fun to see her improvement as a race car driver.

“She does a really good job in a lot of different disciplines, and it’ll be fun to go down there and do a totally fairly new discipline to both of us and go down there and just have a good time.”

When the Michelin Pilot Challenge race is over, the racing will end for three of the drivers. Not so for Cindric, who will make his fourth start in the Rolex 24, this time co-driving the No. 15 Mercedes with Dirk Mueller and Patrick Assenheimer. Cindric has a clear goal in mind.

“I have a very strong desire to win the Rolex 24 and that’s my motivating factor to do this race,” he said. “I’ve worked really hard every offseason to try and make something happen, not to get in a five-driver lineup just to go do the race and experience it. I’ve kind of done all that.

“I’d say the Rolex is probably the most realistic race I can look at and say I would like to win that race. I think this is a great opportunity for me to do that or at least establish my capabilities to do so and, like I said, against a group of drivers that are incredibly talented, incredibly experienced all in their cars.”

GTD PRO is just that – a class based on professional drivers. Most of the cars have factory backing. In a way, Cindric says, this Rolex 24 will mirror what he will face as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie – going head-to-head with the best pro drivers.

“Being in GTD PRO, you look at the entry list and my jaw kind of dropped,” Cindric said, “so I’m excited for that challenge.”

The 2022 season kicks off Saturday, February 6th at the “World’s Greatest Stadium,” the LA Coliseum. The inaugural event marks the first time in over 40 years that the Clash has been raced at a track other than Daytona. The 0.25-mile asphalt oval was constructed over the facility’s existing football field and marks the shortest track that NASCAR has competed on in the modern era. Since opening in 1923, the venue has hosted many marquee sporting events including 3 NFL Championships, 2 Super Bowls, and 2 Summer Olympic games. Although the Clash is a non-points event, it is the competitive debut of the Next Gen car – featuring a fleet of redesigned Ford Mustangs.

In addition to the one-off race at LA Coliseum, both NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series have each added one track to the 2022 schedule, along with several other lineup changes. On June 4th, the Xfinity series ventures to the Pacific Northwest for the first time at Portland International Raceway. The next day, June 5th, the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois makes its first ever NASCAR Cup Series debut. Auto Club Speedway makes its long-awaited return after a 2 year break due to COVID-19. All the previous 2021 track additions will return in 2022 including COTA, Nashville, Road America, Bristol Dirt, and the Indianapolis Road Course. This year’s Bristol Dirt race will take place under the lights as opposed to last year’s daytime race. The season still opens with the famed Daytona 500 and ends in Phoenix.

Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines are powering 15 full time NASCAR Cup series drivers this season: Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano with Team Penske, Harrison Burton with Wood Brothers Racing, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe, and Cole Custer with Stewart-Haas Racing, Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland with Front Row Motorsports, Garrett Smithley and Cody Ware with Rick Ware Racing, and BJ McLeod with Live Fast Motorsports. The 3 full-time Xfinity drivers being powered are Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing, and Joe Graf Jr. with SS GreenLight Racing.

The long-awaited Next Gen car that was revealed in 2021 will see competition starting with this year’s Clash. The look and feel of the car has been redesigned to replicate the street version of the world’s best selling sports car, the Ford Mustang. The new design of the car has lowered the greenhouse, shortened the deck lid, and widened the track width to give the car more of a coupe look. Upgraded specs to match modern street car technology include a new independent rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, and larger brakes. A new transaxle combines the transmission and rear gears into one package to allow for electrification in the future. Hood louvers allow for maximization of engine performance independent of aerodynamics. The new composite material of the car is more durable, front and rear bumpers allow for increased safety, and both the front and rear clips bolt on to the center section for easy serviceability and repair.

For the 2022 NASCAR season, NASCAR Cup Series has established a 670 and 510 HP package. The 510 HP package will be utilized at Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta – while the 670 HP package will be utilized at all other tracks. As NASCAR has opened up engine development in several areas this year, our team has been hard at work during the offseason to maximize power, performance, and reliability.

 3 Series – 21 Teams – 83 Races

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 7, 2022 – Joey Logano won the inaugural Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum on Sunday, securing the victory by a 0.877 second lead over second place. This weekend’s exhibition race marks the first time in over 40 years that the Clash has been held at a track other than Daytona. The 0.25-mile purpose-built asphalt oval was constructed over the facility’s existing football field and was the competitive debut of the Next Gen car featuring a fleet of redesigned Ford Mustangs.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Roger, Joey, Paul, and everyone at Team Penske,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. This is an incredible and exciting start for the Next Gen Car debut as Joey, Paul, and the entire 22 team were able race their way into victory lane. What a dynamic venue at the LA Coliseum and thank you NASCAR for pushing the boundaries of our great sport. To those that joined us or supported the event, thank you for an experience that we will never forget!”

“We got the victory with the old Shell/Pennzoil Mustang. This is an amazing event. Congratulations, NASCAR. Such a huge step in our industry to be able to do this, put on an amazing race for everybody,” commented Logano.

Joey Logano started the race in 4th after winning an earlier heat race and securing a second-row start spot. Logano was able to work his way through the field and take the lead just before the 75-lap intermission. The second half of the race saw Logano and Kyle Busch battling for position, but ultimately Logano was able to hold off Busch and lead the last 35 laps to win the inaugural event. The 0.25-mile short track saw its share of excitement with six cautions during the 150-lap race.

Ford Performance teammates Cole Custer with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P7, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P10, and Harrison Burton with Wood Brothers Racing finished in P12.

NASCAR takes a breather for the Super Bowl and the official 2022 NASCAR Cup season starts with the Daytona 500 on February 20th.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 425 WINS – 384 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – February 21, 2022 – Austin Cindric won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the 64th running of the Daytona 500, finishing 0.036 seconds in front of second place. Cindric is the only rookie to win the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race. This win comes one year after Ford Performance teammate Michael McDowell took home his first Cup victory at this historic track.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Roger, Austin, Jeremy, and everyone at Team Penske for winning the Daytona 500,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “To see the Blue Ovals in victory lane for both duels and then to see Austin win his first Daytona 500 is a testament to all the hard work of our teams. The Ford Performance teams worked well together throughout Daytona, and we are fortunate to partner with Ford to provide the horsepower for these fast Next Gen Ford Mustangs.”

“This has been such a great week with the Duels and the strong Ford Performance and everybody working together to get the two wins Thursday night in the Duels and now to come here for the Daytona 500 and all of our Ford teams and drivers working together. To have so many cars in the top-10 and Austin Cindric with the win it is just fantastic for all of Ford Motor Company,” commented Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Motor Company.

“I’ve got so many people to thank. First and foremost Roger Penske, Happy Birthday. Oh, my gosh. Appreciate Ryan being a great teammate. Obviously, he wants to win this one, but I’m so pumped for Discount Tire, Menards, Ford.” commented Cindric.

After a strong performance in the Duel, Austin Cindric started the race in 4th, beside other Ford Performance teammates. The Blue Ovals were able to maintain track position throughout the race by working together and using the draft to their advantage. A three-car wreck on lap 195 caused the race to go into overtime, requiring one extra lap for Cindric to claim the victory. Cindric was able to hold off a last-minute pass attempt by Ryan Blaney and finish the race with a 0.036 second lead over second place.

7 Fords finished in the top 10. Ford Performance teammates Chase Briscoe with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P3, Ryan Blaney with Team Penske finished in P4, Aric Almirola with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P5, Michael McDowell with Front Row Motorsports finished in P7, David Ragan with Rick Ware Racing finished in P8, and Brad Keselowski with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing finished in P9.

The Xfinity Series also raced at Daytona on Saturday. Ford Performance teammates Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P4 and Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished in P8.

On Thursday, Roush Fenway Keselowski drivers Brad Keselowski won the first Daytona Duel while teammate Chris Buescher won the second duel race.

NASCAR returns next weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.

Ford/Roush Yates Engines Daytona 500 Race Winners (Owner):
2009 – Matt Kenseth (Jack Roush)
2011 – Trevor Bayne (Wood Brothers)
2012 – Matt Kenseth (Jack Roush)
2015 – Joey Logano (Roger Penske)
2017 – Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas)
2021 – Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports)
2022 – Austin Cindric (Roger Penske)

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 428 WINS – 384 POLES!
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

FONTANA, CA – February 28, 2022 – Cole Custer in the No. 07 SS Green Light Racing Ford Mustang won Saturday’s Production Alliance 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race. This was Cole’s 2nd Xfinity win at Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval and 10th of his Xfinity Series career. The race started mid-afternoon but ended under the lights due to twelve cautions and three overtimes as Cole won by .565 seconds over second place.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Bobby Dotter, Cole, Joe, and everyone at SS Green Light Racing for winning Saturday’s Xfinity race,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Cole drove a great race at his home track and executed several late restarts for the win. It’s great to power Bobby’s first win as a team owner.”

“It was just an awesome car. It was a rocket ship all day,” said Custer. ‘I can’t thank Bobby Dotter enough and everybody who was involved on this car.”

Custer led 80 of the 165 laps which was extended 15 laps due to multiple cautions and overtimes. On lap 134, Custer regained the lead and held onto all but one of the last 31 laps to cross the finish line in P1. Ford Performance Teammates Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P9, Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished in P10, Joe Graf Jr. with SS Green Light Racing finished in P15, while Kyle Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished P18.

Austin Cindric with Team Penske won the pole for the Wise Power 400 NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday afternoon. Joey Logano with Team Penske led Ford Performance with a P5 finish, Aric Almirola with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P6, and Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P7 for Sunday’s race.

NASCAR returns next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV.

AVONDALE, AZ – March 14, 2022  – Chase Briscoe won the Ruoff Mortgage 500 race on Sunday, marking his first NASCAR Cup Series win and becoming NASCAR’s 200th different winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. This victory comes after 40 Cup series starts and being named Rookie of the Year in 2021.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Gene, Tony, John, Chase, and everyone at Stewart Haas Racing for the win at Phoenix Raceway,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chase and John did an excellent job navigating their way to the front of the field and maintaining the lead on those late race restarts.”

“I got to thank everyone that has gotten me to this point. Seven years ago, I was sleeping on couches, ready to give up. They gave me an opportunity and it’s led to this. I am so blessed to be driving at the organization, the team, the car that was my hero growing up. To get this 14 back in Victory Lane, to do it with Mahindra Tractors, their first year in the sport, everybody that’s believed in me. It’s unbelievable” commented Briscoe.

Ryan Blaney started on the pole and led 138 of the first 185 laps while winning stage 2. The second half of the race saw Chase Briscoe in contention while leading a total of 101 laps. Briscoe was able to execute two restarts over the final 20 laps, holding off two other drivers who had never won a NASCAR Cup series race.

Ford Performance teammates led 248 laps out of the 312 lap race with Blaney leading a (race-high 143), Briscoe (101) and Logano (4). Five Ford drivers finished in the top 10 including Ford Performance Teammates Ryan Blaney with Team Penske in P4, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing in P6, Joey Logano with Team Penske in P8, and Chris Buescher with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in P10.

Kevin Harvick, who has won 9 times at Phoenix, took home his 18th straight top-10 at the track, tying with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most consecutive top-10s at a single track.

Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished P11 in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series LS Tractor 200 at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR returns from the west coast next weekend at the newly reconfigured and repaved Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia.

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 430 WINS – 386 POLES

DARLINGTON, SC – May 9th, 2022  – Joey Logano started on the pole and won the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, marking his 28th career NCS win, and first points win of the 2022 season. Logano also claimed his first stage win of the season when he won Stage 1 at lap 90.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Roger, Paul, Joey, and everyone at Team Penske for the pole and win at Darlington,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Joey and Paul executed their plan throughout the race and were in great position for the win at the end.”

“To come out of here and get the pole, get a stage win, and then ultimately win the race at the end, I couldn’t be more excited about what we just did. The guys did an amazing job back here. The pit crew was great. The pit stall helped a lot. I tell you, winning at Darlington means so much,” commented Logano.

Joey Logano started on the pole, won the first stage of the race, and raced for the top spot in the second half of the race, leading a race-high 107 laps. A late race restart on lap 262 created an 11-car accident setting the stage for the final restart. With a few laps remaining, Logano passed William Byron for the lead, winning by 0.775 seconds. There was a total of 9 cautions including stage breaks.

Ford Performance teammates Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P4, Michael McDowell with Front Row Motorsports finished P7, and Aric Almirola with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P11.

Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished P3 and Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished P11 in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Mahindra Roxor 200 at Darlington.

NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Kansas.

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 432 WINS – 390 POLES

FORT WORTH, TX – May 23rd, 2022  – Ryan Blaney won big after an overtime restart this weekend at the 38th running of the All-Star Race, netting a $1 million dollar payout. This was Ryan Blaney’s first win of the season after 3 poles and the 4th All-Star race win for Team Penske.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Roger, Jonathan, Ryan, and everyone at Team Penske for the race win and performance at Texas,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Ryan and Jonathan did a great job with strategy and execution throughout the race to secure the win.”

“This Mustang was a rocketship. I am really glad we ended up winning that after that last caution. I am so proud of everybody. Tonight will be fun” commented Blaney.

8 Ford drivers were locked in to the All-Star race and Chris Buescher transferred in to the big race by winning Stage 2 of the All Star Open. Team Penske was represented by Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney while Stewart-Haas Racing had Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, and Chase Briscoe. Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski was in the field along with teammate Chris Buescher, and Michael McDowell from Front Row Motorsports for the second year in a row.

A total of twenty-four drivers competed for the All-Star win this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, which consisted of three 25-lap stages, followed by a final 50 lap stage. With 8 laps to go in Stage 2, a large accident took out three front runners in the race and Austin Cindric took the lead, going on to win Stage 2. At the end of Stage 2 while under caution, Joey Logano and his team won the pit crew challenge, netting him a no-rush pit stop at the end of Stage 3. Ryan Blaney took the lead and won Stage 3 to give Team Penske a 1, 2, 3 start in the final segment. Blaney quickly pulled away from the field, leading a total of 84 laps of the 140 lap race. As Blaney came to the checkered flag, a final lap caution required an overtime finish. The end of the race came down to a battle between Blaney, Cindric, and Hamlin, but Blaney was able to pull away from the field once again and win the All-Star race.

Ford Performance teammates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano with Team Penske finished in P3 and P4, while Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing finished in P8 and P9.

Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished P8 in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series SRS Distribution 250 at Texas.

NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series return next weekend to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday starts the second half of the 26-race regular season before the 10-race playoffs begin.

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 433 WINS – 390 POLES

MADISON, IL – June 6, 2022  – Joey Logano won the inaugural running of the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) on Sunday. This was Logano’s second points win of the season, 29th career victory, and 3rd win at first time races (Bristol Dirt, LA Coliseum, WWTR).

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Roger, Paul, Joey, and everyone at Team Penske for the race win and team performance at Gateway,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Paul and Joey did a great job, putting them up front at the end and executing the late race restart to bring home another inaugural race win this season at Gateway.”

“Thanks for coming out, guys,” Logano said, acknowledging the sellout crowd. “I hope you enjoyed that race. It doesn’t get much better than that. Racing for the lead like that with Kyle, one of the best. It was a lot of fun. Crossing each other back and forth. I knew it was coming. I did it to him; I knew he was going to do it to me. We crossed back and forth there a couple of times.”

Ford Performance teammates Chase Briscoe with Stewart-Haas Racing and Austin Cindric from Team Penske started on the front row for the Enjoy Illinois 300 while Ryan Blaney started P5, Joey Logano P7, Aric Almirola P8, and Harrison Burton P9, making a total of 6 Ford Performance Mustangs in the top 10. Chase Briscoe went on to lead the first 27 laps before unfortunately blowing a tire. On lap 27, Austin Cindric took the lead and went on to win Stage 1, securing 10 points and one additional playoff point. There were 10 caution periods in the race for a total of 53 laps. The closing laps of the race was a battle between Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and teammate Ryan Blaney. A late race accident sent the race into overtime, and Joey Logano was able to secure the race win with a .665-second lead over second place.

Ford Performance teammates Ryan Blaney with Team Penske finished in P4 while Aric Almirola with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P5. Zane Smith filling in for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher finished P17 in his first NASCAR Cup Series Race.

Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished P16 in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series inaugural Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland.

NASCAR Cup returns next week with the Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway while the Xfinity Series returns to action on June 25th at Nashville Superspeedway.

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 433 WINS – 391 POLES