FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: WATKINS GLEN NOTES
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take to the road for the second and final time this season as the annual race at Watkins Glen International is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Ford has seven all-time series wins at the famed road course by four drivers.
THE FIRST TIME…Ford claimed victory in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was when Marvin Panch drove the Wood Brothers to victory on July 18, 1965. There were only 19 cars in the field that day and it proved to be a Ford show as all 66 laps were led by drivers sporting the Blue Oval. Panch led the final laps after second-place man Ned Jarrett led the first. Junior Johnson passed Jarrett for the top spot on lap 2 and held it for 12 circuits until his engine blew. The win was Panch’s fourth of the season and next-to-last in his career, which ended with 17 victories.
THE LAST TIME…Ford went to victory lane at Watkins Glen International was when Marcos Ambrose went slip sliding away on the final lap, but still resulted in him winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race for the second straight time on August 12, 2012. In a race that had more twists and turns over the final three laps than many can remember in recent years, Ambrose was the one who survived a massive streak of oil that had been laid down on the track, allowing him to pass Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski for Ford’s third win of the season. Busch appeared to be headed toward victory, but as he came into turn one on the final lap, he slipped in some oil and got loose. Keselowski came up from behind and hit Busch, sending him spinning off the track. A battle between Ambrose and Keselowski ensued from that point with both drivers trying to avoid the slickness that had covered the course. Ambrose followed Keselowski through the grass at one point, but was able to get by in the treacherous carousel when Keselowski slid one final time.
IN BETWEEN… Mark Martin was the first driver to win three straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International when he drove the No. 6 Ford of Jack Roush to victories in 1993, ’94 and ’95. Not only did Martin win each of those years, he also sat on the pole each time. Ford’s streak of consecutive wins at The Glen reached four a year later when Geoffrey Bodine took the checkered flag in the No. 7 QVC Ford Thunderbird. That marked the 18th and final victory of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.
FORD WATKINS GLEN WINNERS
1965 – Marvin Panch
1993 – Mark Martin
1994 – Mark Martin
1995 – Mark Martin
1996 – Geoffrey Bodine
2011 – Marcos Ambrose
2012 – Marcos Ambrose
