FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: KANSAS ADVANCE
The NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be competing this weekend at Kansas Speedway, where Joey Logano came away with a victory last October. Ford will be looking for a series-leading fifth Cup win of the season after Brad Keselowski’s triumph at Talladega on Sunday while the truck series returns to action following an off weekend.
This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, May 1 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, May 2 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (FS1)
FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT KANSAS
- Ford has nine all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at Kansas.
- Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano all have multiple Cup wins at Kansas.
- Mark Martin registered Ford’s first Cup win at Kansas in 2005.
FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT KANSAS
- Ford has four series victories at Kansas.
- Jon Wood won Ford’s first series race at the track.
- Carl Edwards, Terry Cook and Erik Darnell also have one win each.
MUSTANG CONTINUES TO ROLL SINCE JOINING CUP
Ford’s win on Sunday broke a three-way tie for most victories in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season as Brad Keselowski’s overtime triumph was the manufacturer’s fourth of the year. Michael McDowell started the year by winning the Daytona 500 before the Team Penske trio of Ryan Blaney (Atlanta), Joey Logano (Bristol Dirt) and Keselowski (Talladega) followed. Since coming into the Cup Series in 2019, Mustang has produced 32 victories in 82 starts for a 39 percent win rate – best among manufacturers during that stretch.
TEAM PENSKE CONTINUES EARLY SEASON WIN TREND
Brad Keselowski’s win at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend means all three Team Penske drivers have a victory this season after only 10 races. Keselowski, along with Joey Logano (Bristol Dirt) and Ryan Blaney (Atlanta) have all won at least once each year since the Penske organization went to three cars in 2018, but this marks the earliest that has happened. Since becoming teammates in 2013, Keselowski and Logano have made it a habit to win early in the season. This marks the sixth time both of them have recorded at least one victory in the first 10 races of the year.
MOST DIFFERENT FORD DRIVERS TO WIN IN A SEASON
Through the first 10 races there have been nine different winners overall in the NASCAR Cup Series, including four Ford drivers (Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell). The highest number of different Ford winners in one season during the modern era (1972-present) was last achieved in 2018 when seven drivers ended up in Victory Lane (Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Aric Almirola and Ryan Blaney). That number was achieved for the first time in 1994 (Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, Jimmy Spencer, Ricky Rudd, Geoffrey Bodine, Mark Martin and Bill Elliott) and repeated three years later in 1997 (Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Ernie Irvan and John Andretti). Ford has had six different drivers win at least one race in a season eight times.
LOGANO GOING FOR FOURTH KANSAS VICTORY
Joey Logano has three career NASCAR Cup Series wins at Kansas Speedway after capturing the playoff race in October, which is tied for the most victories he’s had at one facility. Logano also has three wins at Michigan International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Logano won for the first time at Kansas in 2014 and automatically advanced in the playoffs, and then did it again one year later in a well-documented battle with Matt Kenseth that resulted in contact as the two entered turn one with five laps to go. That controversial finish marked Logano’s second straight win in the Chase and led to a sweep of the Contender Round as he took the checkered flag the following week at Talladega Superspeedway.
HARVICK NETS FIRST KANSAS FORD WIN
Kevin Harvick passed Martin Truex Jr. coming to the white flag and held on to capture his fifth victory of the season after winning at Kansas Speedway in 2018. Harvick, who started on the pole, had a competitive car all night as he led five times for 79 laps and finished second the first two stages. A series of late-race cautions set the stage for Harvick to rally after a red flag with 14 laps remaining reset the field. Even though Truex built a good-sized lead, Harvick was able to close the gap with three laps to go before making the decisive pass. The win gave Harvick back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series wins for the second time in 2018, a year that saw him win eight times overall.
ON THE MARK
Ford went to victory for the first time at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 9, 2005 when Mark Martin took the checkered flag in what was a Roush Fenway Racing runaway with teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards finishing second and third, respectively. Martin led a race-high 139 laps, including 81 of the final 83 circuits, to win by one-half second. It marked the second time in as many months that RFR swept the top three spots, a feat it did two more times during that season. In addition, the victory ended up being Martin’s last with Ford. His 35 series wins with the manufacturer ranks third all-time behind leader Ned Jarrett (43) and second-place Bill Elliott (40).
FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS
2005 – Mark Martin
2007 – Greg Biffle
2010 – Greg Biffle
2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2014 – Joey Logano (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2018 – Kevin Harvick (1)
2019 – Brad Keselowski (1)
2020 – Joey Logano (2)
FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS
2003 – Jon Wood
2004 – Carl Edwards
2006 – Terry Cook
2007 – Erik Darnell
