FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: CHICAGOLAND NOTES
The Playoffs for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series begin this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway with five Ford drivers in the field of 16. Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. represent four different organizations in the Ford camp – Wood Brothers Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Team Penske and Stewart-Haas Racing. Ford is trying to win its first series championship since 2004 when Busch won the inaugural Playoff crown.
PLAYOFF DEBUTS
Two Ford drivers will be making their Playoff debuts this weekend as Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. participate in the postseason for the first time. Blaney punched his ticket by winning at Pocono in June while Stenhouse has won the last two restrictor plate races at Talladega and Daytona. The weekend will also mark the first time Wood Brothers Racing will be competing for the championship in this format. The team has one championship on its resume, the 1963 owner’s title, in addition to 99 career victories.
FORD FIRST
Another driver who will be making his first Playoff start with Ford this weekend is Kevin Harvick, who qualified by winning at Sonoma Raceway in June. Harvick has 11 career Playoff victories and has at least one on six of the 10 tracks that make up the championship schedule (New Hampshire, Phoenix, Kansas, Charlotte, Dover and Homestead).
CHICAGOLAND FIRST
Ford’s lone Monster Energy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Chicagoland Speedway came in 2014 when Brad Keselowski kicked off the new Playoff format by leading the final 16 laps. The win was his second straight after winning the previous week at Richmond, and also clinched an automatic berth into the next round. Keselowski provided the drama the new format figured to deliver as he squeezed between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson to grab the lead and win for the fifth time that season.
CHASE OPENER HIGHLIGHTS
Keselowski’s Chicago win in 2014 marked the third time Ford has won the Playoff opener. Kurt Busch captured the very first Playoff race in 2004 when he took the checkered flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which served as a springboard for him winning the championship under Jack Roush. Greg Biffle won the first two events in 2008 (Loudon and Dover) before eventually finishing third in the final standings.
ALL-TIME FORD PLAYOFF WINS
Ford has 33 all-time Playoff victories and Brad Keselowski leads the way among active Ford drivers with three. He has five overall with two of those coming when Team Penske was affiliated with Dodge while Kurt Busch has one with Ford and three overall.
FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF RACE WINNERS
Carl Edwards – 8
Greg Biffle – 7
Joey Logano – 7
Matt Kenseth – 4
Brad Keselowski – 3
Jamie McMurray – 1
Kurt Busch – 1
Dale Jarrett – 1
Mark Martin – 1
NOTE: Keselowski has 5 career Playoff wins with the others coming in 2012 at Chicago and Dover when Team Penske was affiliated with Dodge. Kurt Busch has 3 career Playoff wins with the other two coming in 2009 (Texas) and 2011 (Dover).
