FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: CHARLOTTE PLAYOFF NOTES
A pair of playoff elimination races are scheduled for this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway as its Roval course hosts the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series. Austin Cindric has already clinched a spot in the NXS Round of 8 while four Ford drivers are still in contention to advance on the Cup side. Here’s a look at how Ford has done at Charlotte and where each driver stands on the playoff grid.
This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, Oct. 9 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, Oct. 10 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
3rd – Joey Logano (+21 ahead of cutoff)
4th – Brad Keselowski (+20)
6th – Ryan Blaney (+15)
9th – Kevin Harvick (-9 behind final transfer spot)
FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT CMS
- Ford has 32 all-time series points wins at Charlotte.
- Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kevin Harvick all have at least one series win.
- Blaney won the inaugural Cup Roval race in 2018.
ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
1st – Austin Cindric (Clinched by points)
11th – Riley Herbst (-32)
FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT CMS
- Ford has 22 series wins at CMS.
- Chase Briscoe won the first Roval race in 2018.
- Austin Cindric has finished 3rd twice and 6th in three previous Roval races.
120 YEARS AGO ON SUNDAY
The Ford racing program was born on Oct. 10, 1901 when Henry Ford and his hand-built race car named Sweepstakes beat Alexander Winton at the Detroit Driving Club in front of approximately 8,000 spectators. The 10-lap race represented Ford’s only time competing as a driver and even though he fell behind at the start, Sweepstakes was built for endurance and steadily gained ground before eventually passing Winton with two laps to go. Ford won $1,000 and a cut-glass punch bowl, but, more importantly, used the notoriety achieved to attract enough investors to start the Ford Motor Company in June 1903.
CINDRIC IN ROUND OF 8, HERBST NEEDS WIN TO ADVANCE
Austin Cindric’s eighth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway was good enough to clinch a spot in the Round of 8. The Team Penske driver, who leads the series with five wins, sits first on the playoff grid as he goes for his second straight NASCAR XFINITY Series championship. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst led the most laps at Talladega, but he got caught up in a late-race multi-car accident that has put him in a must-win situation on Saturday. Herbst goes into the event 32 points behind eighth-place Harrison Burton.
BLANEY CAPTURES INAUGURAL CUP ROVAL RACE
The debut of the Charlotte Roval didn’t disappoint as Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. wrecked each other in the final chicane heading to the checkered flag, allowing Ryan Blaney to sneak past both and win the inaugural Bank of America Roval 400. Blaney put himself in position to win thanks to some sound strategy that enabled him to stretch his fuel mileage and win Stage 2. He round himself in 25th place with 38 laps to go after a trip to pit road, but cycled his way back up to the front before being in the right place at the right time. That capped a weekend in which Ford won the pole and race in the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series.
BRISCOE WINS FIRST NXS RACE ON ROVAL
Chase Briscoe led the final 24 laps and became the first driver to win a race on the new Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval course by taking the checkered flag in the Drive for the Cure 200. The win was Briscoe’s first in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and he was able to do it thanks to a good restart with 11 laps to go. Briscoe, who had been locked in a tight battle with Daniel Hemric throughout the final stage, got the jump after the race’s fifth caution and when Hemric missed the frontstrech chicane, it gave Briscoe some extra breathing room to take the checkered flag.
FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT CHARLOTTE
1960 – Speedy Thompson (2)
1962 – Nelson Stacy (1)
1963 – Fred Lorenzen (1)
1964 – Fred Lorenzen (2)
1965 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)
1969 – Donnie Allison (2)
1970 – Donnie Allison (1)
1978 – Bobby Allison (2)
1982 – Neil Bonnett (1)
1984 – Bill Elliott (2)
1985 – Cale Yarborough (2)
1987 – Kyle Petty and Bill Elliott
1990 – Davey Allison (2)
1991 – Davey Allison and Geoffrey Bodine
1992 – Mark Martin (2)
1993 – Ernie Irvan (2)
1995 – Mark Martin (2)
1996 – Dale Jarrett (1)
1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)
1998 – Mark Martin (2)
1999 – Jeff Burton (1)
2000 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2001 – Jeff Burton (1)
2002 – Mark Martin (1)
2011 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2013 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2018 – Ryan Blaney (2-Roval)
2020 – Brad Keselowski (1)
FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT CHARLOTTE
1992 – Jeff Gordon (Sweep)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1995 – Chad Little (1) and Mark Martin (2)
1996 – Mark Martin (Sweep)
1998 – Mark Martin (1)
1999 – Mark Martin (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (1)
2001 – Jeff Green (1) and Greg Biffle (2)
2002 – Jeff Burton (2)
2003 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2006 – Carl Edwards (1)
2011 – Matt Kenseth (1) and Carl Edwards (2)
2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2016 – Joey Logano (2)
2017 – Ryan Blaney (1)
2018 – Brad Keselowski and Chase Briscoe (2-Roval)
