FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI PLAYOFF ADVANCE
The final weekend for NASCAR’s top three touring series is scheduled for this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway as Ford hosts Ford Championship Weekend for the 18th consecutive season. All three series champions will be crowned, beginning Friday with the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series and continuing with the NASCAR XFINITY Series on Saturday and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. Ford is the only manufacturer represented in the Championship 4 in all three series. Here’s a look at each of those title contenders.
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
Ford leads all manufacturers with eight wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway, including last year when Joey Logano won the Ford EcoBoost 400 to claim the 2018 series championship. Greg Biffle started a stretch that saw Ford win five straight years when he took back-to-back-to-back victories from 2004-2006. Those three wins are the most for any Ford driver at the track. Carl Edwards won twice while Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Logano one time apiece.
KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang – Stewart-Haas Racing
This will be the fifth time Harvick has competed for the championship in the six years this format has been in existence…Captured the title in 2014 after winning the Ford EcoBoost 400…That marks his only win in 18 career starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but he has 10 top-five and 16 top-10 efforts overall…He advanced after winning two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway.
FORD’S MENCS CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS
1965 – Ned Jarrett
1968 – David Pearson
1969 – David Pearson
1988 – Bill Elliott
1992 – Alan Kulwicki
1999 – Dale Jarrett
2003 – Matt Kenseth
2004 – Kurt Busch
2018 – Joey Logano
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Ford has won seven times at Homestead-Miami Speedway, including the first series event held at the track when Dale Jarrett took the checkered flag in 1995. Ford has celebrated five driver’s championships and seven owner’s titles since Ford Championship Weekend began in 2002. Roger Penske has won the owner’s championship four times since 2013 while Jack Roush has won five driver’s titles with Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (twice) and Chris Buescher.
COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – Stewart-Haas Racing
This will be Custer’s second straight appearance in the Championship 4 after a second-place finish last week at ISM Raceway…Custer, who led Stewart-Haas to the owner’s championship a year ago, enters the weekend with seven wins this season and six poles…His first series victory came two years ago when he led 182-of-200 laps and took the Ford EcoBoost 300 by 15.405 seconds.
FORD’S NXS CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS
2002 – Greg Biffle
2007 – Carl Edwards
2011 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2015 – Chris Buescher
MUSTANG LOOKING TO ADD ANOTHER TITLE
Mustang has dominated the NASCAR XFINITY Series since it joined the circuit full-time in 2011, winning at least one championship in seven of its first eight seasons. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won back-to-back drivers’ championships in 2011 and 2012 while Team Penske followed that with three straight owner’s titles from 2013-15 and again in 2017. Overall, Mustang has won nine driver’s and owner’s championships combined going into Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300.
MUSTANG NASCAR XFINITY CHAMPIONSHIP STREAK
2011 — Driver’s Championship (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.)
2011 — Owner’s Championship (Jack Roush, No. 6)
2012 — Driver’s Championship (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.)
2013 — Owner’s Championship (Roger Penske, No. 22)
2014 — Owner’s Championship (Roger Penske, No. 22)
2015 — Driver’s Championship (Chris Buescher)
2015 — Owner’s Championship (Roger Penske, No. 22)
2017 — Owner’s Championship (Roger Penske, No. 22)
2018 – Owner’s Championship (Stewart-Haas, No. 00)
NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES
Ford comes into this weekend with six all-time wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the last one coming in 2017 when Chase Briscoe captured his first series victory. Ford won the first four events held at the speedway from 1996-99 before Mark Martin won his only series race at the track in 2006 with owner Jack Roush.
MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 – ThorSport Racing
This marks Crafton’s third time in the Championship 4 and first since joining Ford at the beginning of last season…He’s looking for his third series title after winning back-to-back in 2013 and 2014…Crafton erased a nine-point deficit last weekend at ISM Raceway to earn the final championship berth when he finished sixth.
FORD’S NGOTS CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS
2000 – Greg Biffle
