CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS NOTES
Saturday, March 25 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, March 25 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, March 26 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
NASCAR and its three major series will venture to the Lone Star State for one of its five road racing events of 2023. Circuit of The Americas has swiftly become a fan-favorite since its series debut in 2021, as the full 3.426-mile course welcomes an assortment of new challenges year-to-year. Ford will be seeking its first Cup and Xfinity victories, while Zane Smith returns as the 2022 winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
NO. 22 TO NO. 4
Last week’s victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway helped Joey Logano eclipse the top-five on the Ford all-time Cup wins list. Logano, who simultaneously won his first points race of the season, is now tied with Dale Jarrett for fourth with 30 victories. Logano carries a one-point championship lead into Circuit of The Americas.
FORD ALL-TIME WINS LIST
1 – Ned Jarrett – 43
2 – Bill Elliott – 40
3 – Mark Martin – 35
4 – Jarrett / Logano – 30
FORD’S ACTIVE ROAD COURSE CUP WINNERS
There are three current drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series race on a road course with Ford. The most recent winner was Ryan Blaney, who captured the inaugural event at the Charlotte Roval in 2018. Kevin Harvick, who goes into this weekend with 25 career Ford victories in just over six years, got his first with the Blue Oval in 2017 when he won at Sonoma. Joey Logano scored his Cup victory at Watkins Glen International in 2015, which completed a weekend sweep after he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race one day earlier.
OTHER FORD ROAD COURSE WINNERS
Besides the drivers mentioned above, Ford has six other active Cup competitors who have won on a road course in either the NASCAR Cup, NASCAR Xfinity or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Brad Keselowski (Watkins Glen NXS with Ford, 2013); Chris Buescher (Mid-Ohio NXS with Ford, 2014); Michael McDowell (Road America NXS, 2016); Austin Cindric (NXS wins with Ford at Watkins Glen, 2019; Mid-Ohio, 2019; Road America, 2020, Daytona Road Course, 2020; and Indianapolis Road Course, 2021); Chase Briscoe (NXS wins with Ford at Charlotte Roval, 2018; and Indianapolis Road Course, 2020); and Todd Gilliland (Circuit of the Americas NCTS with Ford, 2021).
GURNEY IS FORD’S ALL-TIME ROAD COURSE WINNER
NASCAR has competed on 16 different road courses during its history and Ford has had 21 drivers win 33 times overall. Dan Gurney leads the way with five, which included four straight wins at Riverside International Raceway from 1963-66 while driving for the Wood Brothers. Mark Martin is second with four.
HERBST CONTINUES TOP 10 STREAK
Riley Herbst continued his Top 10 streak last weekend with a fifth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway – highlighted by back-to-back top-five performances that also included a fourth in Phoenix. From the end of the 2022 season, Herbst now has eight straight Top 10 finishes and comes into Saturday’s race at Circuit of The Americas tied for second in the point standings (202).
A NASCAR FIRST
Todd Gilliland became the first NASCAR driver to win a national series event at Circuit of the Americas when he captured the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in 2021. In a weekend that was hampered by rain, Gilliland was able to manage the mixed conditions of dry and wet pavement to win by nearly eight seconds. Gilliland, who registered his second series win that day, continues to look for his first NASCAR Cup Series victory this weekend in his third season driving for Front Row Motorsports.
A CHAMPION’S MENTALITY
Zane Smith returns as the the series’ most recent winner at Circuit of The Americas. As a part of Smith’s 2022 championship campaign, he led the race when it counted with wins in Stage 1 and 2, as well as taking the lead with two laps remaining in the second overtime period to earn the victory. Ford has been represented in victory lane for the series’ first two appearances at Circuit of The Americas.
CRAFTON LEADS FORD POINTS CHARGE
Matt Crafton is one of four Ford drivers represented in the top-five of the points standings after Atlanta Motor Speedway. Crafton currently stands second (126) in a closely contested points race, followed by Ty Majeski (3rd, 123), Ben Rhodes (4th, 119) and Zane Smith (5th, 116).
FORD’S ALL-TIME CUP ROAD COURSE WINNERS
5 – Dan Gurney
4 – Mark Martin
2 – Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Parnelli Jones, Ricky Rudd, Marcos Ambrose
1 – Chuck Stevenson, Eddie Gray, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Geoffrey Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney.
FORD’S COTA CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS
2021 – Todd Gilliland
2022 – Zane Smith
FORD ROAD COURSE WINS IN THE MODERN ERA (1972-Present)
Circuit of the Americas is one of eight road courses the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on in the modern era, joining Riverside International Raceway (1958-88), Watkins Glen International (1957-Present), Sonoma Raceway (1989-Present), Charlotte Motor Speedway (2018-Present), Daytona International Speedway (2020-2021), Road America (2021-2022) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2021-Present). Ford has produced a total of 19 combined wins at those facilities from 1972-Present. Mark Martin leads the way with four victories, including three straight years at Watkins Glen, while Ricky Rudd, Marcos Ambrose and Geoffrey Bodine have two each.
