FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: TEXAS PLAYOFF NOTES
Texas Motor Speedway will host a doubleheader this weekend as the NASCAR XFINITY Series opens its playoff schedule on Saturday afternoon with the first of three races in the Round of 12. That will be followed on Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series starts the second round of its postseason with 12 drivers still in contention for this year’s title. Here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand.
This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, Sept. 24 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, Sept. 25 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA)
ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
2nd – Joey Logano (+16 above cut line)
8th – Ryan Blaney (+4)
9th – Chase Briscoe (-4 below cut line)
12th – Austin Cindric (-7)
FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT TMS
· Ford is tied for the most all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at TMS with 15.
· Kevin Harvick has won 3 of the last 5 Texas playoff races.
· Jack Roush is 2nd for the most wins among car owners at TMS with nine.
ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
11th – Riley Herbst (-3 below cut line)
12th – Ryan Sieg (-4)
FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT TMS
· Ford has 13 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at TMS.
· Mark Martin won the first NXS race at Texas and leads Ford with three series victories overall.
· In addition to his 9 Cup wins, Jack Roush also has 9 NXS victories at TMS.
TEAM PENSKE STILL ALIVE IN CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT
All three Team Penske drivers have advanced to the Round of 12 after Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric all finished above the cut line after Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. As Texas Motor Speedway prepares to host the opener of this round, Logano and Blaney find themselves in positive territory as eight drivers will advance following the Charlotte Roval event next month. Logano is in second place as the round begins, 16 points over the cut line while Blaney is in the final transfer spot by four points. Cindric is 12th in the recalibrated standings, but only seven points out of eighth place.
LOGANO ALL-TIME FORD PLAYOFF WINS LEADER
Chris Buescher’s playoff victory on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway was the first of his career in the postseason. Team Penske’s Joey Logano has won 10 career playoff races with Ford, making him the manufacturer’s all-time wins leader in that department. Carl Edwards ranks second behind Logano with eight playoff wins while Greg Biffle is third with seven.
THREE STRAIGHT IN THE PLAYOFFS
As noted above, Kevin Harvick has won three of the last five NASCAR Cup Series playoff races at Texas Motor Speedway with all three of those coming in consecutive seasons (2017-18-19). He became the second Ford driver to win the same playoff race three years in a row. The first was Greg Biffle of Roush Fenway Racing, who captured the season finale in what was then known as Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
HERBST AND SIEG BEGIN NXS CHAMPIONSHIP BID
Ford drivers Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg will begin their championship bid this weekend as the 12-driver field opens its postseason at Texas Motor Speedway. Herbst clinched his spot prior to last Friday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway while Sieg claimed the final spot after a 10th-place finish in the Food City 300. Herbst and Sieg are seeded 11th and 12th, respectively, and have three races to move up into one of the eight spots that will transfer after the Charlotte Roval race. Herbst is only three points out of eighth place while Sieg is four.
FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TEXAS
1997 – Jeff Burton
1998 – Mark Martin
2001 – Dale Jarrett
2002 – Matt Kenseth
2004 – Elliott Sadler
2005 – Greg Biffle (1) and Carl Edwards (2)
2008 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)
2011 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2012 – Greg Biffle (1)
2014 – Joey Logano (1)
2017 – Kevin Harvick (2)
2018 – Kevin Harvick (2)
2019 – Kevin Harvick (2)
FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT TEXAS
1997 – Mark Martin
1999 – Mark Martin
2000 – Mark Martin
2004 – Matt Kenseth
2007 – Matt Kenseth
2010 – Carl Edwards (2)
2011 – Carl Edwards (1) and Trevor Bayne (2)
2012 – Ricky Stenhouse (1)
2013 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2018 – Ryan Blaney (1) and Cole Custer (2)
2020 – Austin Cindric (1)
