As Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head into this weekend’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway they are proud of their performances in the first two races of 2023 but confident there are better finishes ahead.
Burton and the No. 21 Mustang led laps late in the season-opening Daytona 500 and rallied from a slow start last weekend at Auto Club Speedway to post a top-15 finish there.
Now they’re headed to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track that in recent seasons has been one of the more successful venues for the Wood Brothers. In the past seven years, the Woods have posted six top-10 finishes in 12 races, including two runner-up runs, with only one finish worse than 16th.
Crew chief Brian Wilson said Burton and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team can use their notes from last year at Las Vegas plus what they learned last weekend to prepare for a strong showing this week.
“Last weekend in Fontana the No. 21 Ford made huge gains throughout the race,” Wilson said. “Over the final 50 laps of the race we averaged top-15 lap times and scored a solid 15th-place finish.
“Heading into the Las Vegas weekend we look to build off our growing notebook. For this weekend Goodyear will bring the same tire combination as Fontana, so many aspects of the setup should transfer over. We also had a solid race weekend last fall during our last visit to Las Vegas.
“We’ll attempt to blend the best of those two notebooks to continue our progress and improve our competitiveness.”
Wilson said he and the team are achieving their goal of picking up where they left off at the end of the 2022 campaign.
“So far this season our average finish in 20.5,” he said. “This is similar to where we ended last season, but everyone on the Motorcraft/ Quick Lane Ford knows we left a great finish on the table at the end of the Daytona race.
“We know we’re capable of even better finishes.”
Practice for the Pennzoil 400 is set for Saturday at 10:35 a.m. (1:30 p.m. Eastern Time) to be followed immediately by qualifying.
Sunday’s 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. Eastern).
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.
FOX Sports 2 will carry TV coverage of practice, with FOX Sports 1 covering qualifying. FOX will broadcast Sunday’s race.
About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.
About Omnicraft®
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.
About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 176,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.
