FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: MICHIGAN/MID-OHIO ADVANCE
All three of NASCAR’s top series will be on track this weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series serves as the Sunday finale at Michigan International Speedway. That will follow the final regular-season race for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series, scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
While those two series are in Michigan, the NASCAR XFINITY Series will compete on its second straight road course, following up last week’s event at Watkins Glen International with Saturday’s race at Mid-Ohio. Ford goes into the race having won two in a row after Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric won at Iowa and Watkins Glen, respectively.
Ford will also be looking to extend its string of success at MIS that began when the facility opened in 1969. Ford has won at least one MENCS race in 37 of the 51 years the track has been in operation, including 12 season sweeps. In fact, Ford Motor Company has won half of the MENCS events held as Ford (38) and Mercury (12) have combined to capture 50 of the 100 races after Joey Logano won the first race at MIS in June.
Jack Roush has dominated at his home track as he leads all owners in series victories in both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (13) and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (5). He has 23 overall wins at the track when his five NASCAR XFINITY Series victories are added to that total.
FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT MIS
· Ford has 38 all-time series wins at MIS, which is the most at any track currently on the circuit.
· Ford comes into this weekend having won three straight at MIS.
· Jack Roush has the most wins among car owners at MIS with 13 while the Wood Brothers are next with 11.
FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT MID-OHIO
· Ford is tied with a series-best 3 wins at Mid-Ohio in 6 all-time starts.
· AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher and Sam Hornish Jr. have Ford wins at the track.
· Roger Penske has won this event twice (Allmendinger and Hornish).
FORD IN THE NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT MIS
· Ford has 5 series wins at MIS.
· Greg Biffle won the first two series races held at the speedway (1999 and 2000).
· Jack Roush leads all owners with 5 series victories as Travis Kvapil (2007), Erik Darnell (2008) and Colin Braun (2009) joined Biffle on the MIS win list.
TRUCK SERIES PLAYOFF CONTENDERS
Only one spot remains in the eight driver field for this year’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs with the final regular season race set for Saturday at MIS. ThorSport driver Johnny Sauter clinched his spot after winning at Dover, and Grant Enfinger will claim a position by just taking the green flag at MIS as that will clinch the regular season championship. That leaves Matt Crafton in position to grab the final spot on points, unless a first-time winner, such as teammate Ben Rhodes, takes the checkered flag and knocks him out of championship contention.
MIS CUP WIN STREAK AT THREE
Joey Logano’s win in June represented the third straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win for Ford at MIS. In addition, it marked Logano’s third career win at the track, following victories in 2013 and 2016. On this occasion, he led 163-of-203 laps and needed overtime to finish the job, which was appropriate considering the race had to be postponed and rescheduled for the following day.
STEWART-HAAS SWEEPS 2019
Clint Bowyer won his second race of the 2018 season when he captured the Firekeepers Casino 400 last year while Kevin Harvick continued his dominant season by taking the August event. The season Cup sweep was the first for Ford since 2013 and ninth overall. Bowyer led a 1-2-3 finish for Ford and Stewart-Haas Racing, edging teammates Harvick (2nd) and Kurt Busch (3rd). Bowyer led eight of the 133 laps, which was shortened from its scheduled 200-lap, 400-mile distance because of rain. He took advantage of a quick two-tire stop during his final trip to pit road, and held off Harvick on the final restart before rain stopped the event. The win was Bowyer’s 10th of his Cup career and first at the two-mile track. Harvick’s win was his seventh victory of the season and second career win at MIS.
TEAM PENSKE REGISTERS 50TH WIN WITH FORD
Joey Logano started and won from the pole for the second time in his career at Michigan International Speedway when he captured the June race in 2016. Logano finished ahead of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson with Penske teammate Brad Keselowski ending up fourth. The new aerodynamic package, promising to produce lower downforce, didn’t disappoint as there were 14 lead changes with Logano leading six times for 138 total laps. The win gave Team Penske its 50th Cup win with Ford and produced the 100th victory for Roush Yates Engines in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
MERCURY AND FORD SWEEP MIS OPENING SEASON
Ford Motor Co. swept the inaugural season of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway in 1969 when Cale Yarborough (Mercury) and David Pearson (Ford) took turns going to victory lane. Yarborough won an intense battle in the track opener on June 15 after passing Lee Roy Yarbrough with three laps to go to take the Wood Brothers to victory lane. That capped a finish which saw Yarborough, Pearson and Yarbrough swap the lead 20 times over the final 146 laps. The second date took place on Aug. 17 and this time it was Pearson and Holman-Moody taking the checkered flag. Pearson sat on the pole and led 79 of the 165 laps completed. The race, which was originally scheduled to be a 600-mile event, was halted at that point and declared official due to rain. Pearson went on to win a record nine times at MIS, which puts him as the speedway’s all-time MENCS winner.
FOUR STRAIGHT FOR AWESOME BILL
Bill Elliott is the only driver to win four straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, sweeping both events in 1985 and ’86, and he capped that impressive streak in dominating fashion. Elliott led 125-of-200 laps on Aug. 17, 1986 to beat Tim Richmond to the finish line and win the Champion Spark Plug 400. Elliott went on to win seven career races at MIS and currently ranks third on the all-time list, trailing only David Pearson (9) and Cale Yarborough (8).
JARRETT WINS FIRST CUP RACE
Dale Jarrett registered his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in memorable fashion at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 1991. Jarrett, who was in second season driving for the Wood Brothers, found himself in furious battle with Davey Allison, who stalked him over the final dozen laps in his No. 28 Texaco Havoline Thunderbird. Allison made a move to the outside coming off turn four and got alongside Jarrett as the two took the white flag together. They took turns exchanging the lead, but never left each other’s side. As they came off turn four both Fords made contact, but it was Jarrett who ended up edging Allison by eight inches at the finish line.
BIFFLE WINS FORD’S 1,000TH
Greg Biffle posted Ford’s 1,000th NASCAR victory when he took the checkered flag on June 16, 2013 in the Quicken Loans 400. The milestone win, which included combined victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck, NASCAR XFINITY and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, was Biffle’s second straight at MIS and fourth overall. The race was shaping up to be a battle between Biffle, who was leading, and a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson, but a flat tire ended Johnson’s chances with two laps to go.
HERITAGE TROPHY FIRST
When Joey Logano won the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 2013 it represented his first win with Ford and new car owner Roger Penske. But it also marked the first time the speedway awarded the Michigan Heritage trophy, which goes to the winning manufacturer of every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at MIS. Logano, who won the pole and led a race-high 51 laps, passed Mark Martin for the lead with four laps to go after Martin’s car ran out of gas.
FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP WINNERS AT MICHIGAN
1969 – David Pearson (2)
1984 – Bill Elliott (1)
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1986 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1987 – Bill Elliott (2)
1988 – Davey Allison (2)
1989 – Bill Elliott (1)
1990 – Mark Martin (2)
1991 – Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine
1996 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett
1997 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin
1998 – Mark Martin (1)
1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2000 – Rusty Wallace (2)
2002 – Matt Kenseth and Dale Jarrett
2003 – Kurt Busch (1)
2004 – Greg Biffle (2)
2005 – Greg Biffle (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (1)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2012 – Greg Biffle (2)
2013 – Greg Biffle and Joey Logano
2016 – Joey Logano (1)
2018 – Clint Bowyer (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2019 – Joey Logano (1)
FORD GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT MICHIGAN
1999 – Greg Biffle
2000 – Greg Biffle
2007 – Travis Kvapil
2008 – Erik Darnell
2009 – Colin Braun
FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT MID-OHIO
2013 – AJ Allmendinger
2014 – Chris Buescher
2017 – Sam Hornish Jr.
