Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic – Daytona International Speedway Road Course
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026
AUSTIN CINDRIC WINS INAUGURAL PROUD TO HONOR VETERANS DAY CLASSIC FOR THE AIR FORCE
• NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric won the first Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic in the No. 2 Air Force Ford Mustang® Dark Horse™ R on Wednesday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Cindric, who also won the pole, and two-time Mustang Challenge North America champion Robert Noaker (Marines) exchanged the lead three times in the final nine minutes.
Cindric made the decisive pass with five minutes remaining, but the two battled side-by-side throughout the final laps.
• Cindric received a custom-designed Proud to Honor trophy with replicas also going to Ford Racing and NASCAR for display at their respective headquarters.
• Twelve Ford Racing drivers competed in six teams of two in Mustang® Dark Horse™ Rs with custom military-inspired liveries, bringing the spirit of a great American sporting rivalry to the race.
• The format was a 15-minute qualifying session followed by a 30-minute race on Daytona’s 12-turn, approximately 3.6-mile road course. The first driver across the line won for his branch.
Teams:
o Army (Joey Hand, Brad Keselowski)
o Marine Corps (Ben Hobson, Robert Noaker)
o Navy (Logan Sargeant, Ryan Preece)
o Air Force (Austin Cindric, Jenson Altzman)
o Space Force (Noah Gragson, Layne Riggs)
o Coast Guard (Joey Logano, Ty Majeski)
RACE RESULTS
1st – Austin Cindric, Air Force
2nd – Robert Noaker, Marines
3rd – Ryan Preece, Navy
4th – Logan Sargeant, Navy
5th – Brad Keselowski, Army
6th – Layne Riggs, Space Force
7th – Joey Logano, Coast Guard
8th – Joey Hand, Army
9th – Ben Hobson, Marines
10th – Noah Gragson, Space Force
11th – Ty Majeski, Coast Guard
12th – Jenson Altzman, Air Force
RACE WINNER – AUSTIN CINDRIC, Air Force
VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW: “I finally have something to put on the center of the Christmas card, so I did win a race this year after all the talk. It was an awesome event. It was a great turnout. Huge kudos to everyone at Ford Racing and Daytona for putting something like this on for the veterans. The response has been really cool and awesome to honor the Air Force with a win tonight.”
HOW MUCH FUN WAS THAT? “Robert and I had a blast. Obviously, there wasn’t anything completely on the line other than a trophy and bragging rights for the divisions of the military, but Robert made me earn it. It was fun to see a guy like that who is in the lower divisions be able to put up that strong of a fight and be unflappable the whole time. It was really cool.”
YOU’VE WON ON THE OVAL AND NOW THE ROAD COURSE. IS THERE ANYTHING IN COMMON FROM WINNING ON THOSE TWO TRACKS? “There’s only two races at Daytona I’ve entered, this is a subtle brag, that I haven’t won and it’s the truck race and it’s the Rolex 24. I want to win the Rolex badly and I’d love to do it with Ford and Ford Racing. Maybe that’s in the cards some day in the future, but Daytona has always been a special place for anyone who races, but it’s a special place tonight for a lot of different reasons and to honor our veterans on Veterans Day is a cool way to close it out.”
HOW MUCH DID YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE ON THE ROAD COURSE HELP YOU HERE? “I think I’ve done laps here in my sleep. I would have been frustrated if I wasn’t at least in the ball game. I figured Robert was gonna be a hard one to beat tonight, so a shout out to Blaney for giving us the hardest alternate driver to go up against. I hope he’s resting up, but this was a fun night. Robert made me earn it.”
PRIDE IN BEATING A TWO-TIME MUSTANG CHAMPION FOR THE WIN? “There’s always pride in winning.”
IS THERE MOTIVATION TO RUN IT BACK NEXT YEAR AND DEFEND YOUR TITLE? “It goes without saying that this has been a hit, so it would be cool to come back and do it all again.”
SECOND PLACE FINISHER: ROBERT NOAKER, Marines: WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE GOING TO RACE? “Yesterday morning when I was sitting at breakfast. I was going to already be here for the event just to help the other drivers adapt to the car and I got the call that Blaney unfortunately had an incident and he wasn’t able to race. I can’t thank everyone enough to put me in this car and put on that show. That’s probably the most fun I’ve had in this car in the three years I’ve driven it. I can’t thank Ford Racing enough and just racing for the veterans is such a cool show.”
WERE YOU HERE TO SHAKE THE CARS DOWN? “No. I was purely just here from a staff standpoint of just a driver coach. You always show up to the racetrack with your gear just in case something happens and I was fortunate enough to get the call up.”
HOW MUCH FUN WAS IT BATTLING AUSTIN? “It was a blast to race Austin. I knew he was gonna race clean. He probably knew I was gonna race clean and it was so much fun to race that close and not have any contact and put on a great show for all the veterans here tonight.”
THIRD PLACE FINISHER: RYAN PREECE, Navy: “It was a good time. I had fun, but those two got away and I just had a good time. Driving these Mustang Dark Horses around here was tough. It was a good time and running around the Daytona road course where every January I get to watch some of the greats run the Rolex 24. It was great to be a part of it. I really appreciate Ford for putting this event on and honoring our troops. I wish we could have won it for the Navy, but certainly had a good time.”
ABOUT THE CLASSIC
• The first-of-its-kind military tribute race honored all six branches of the U.S. Armed Services, with performances headlined by Zac Brown Band. It was inspired by the Army-Navy Game and developed in collaboration with NASCAR, IMSA, HSR and Blue Star Families to recognize, honor and celebrate those who serve and the families beside them.
• The Classic built on Ford’s long legacy of supporting the military. After WWI, Henry Ford helped veterans with disabilities find work at Ford, and that commitment continued through the company’s contribution to the Arsenal of Democracy in WWII. Today, thousands of veterans work at Ford in the U.S., and Ford’s employee resource group, Vet NG, supports their careers.
• Zac Brown Band was joined by Grammy-winning superstar Nelly, Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina, and Warren Zeiders. Brittney Spencer sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The host was Bobby Bones, best known as the voice behind The Bobby Bones Show, America’s #1 country morning show.
• Gen. Christopher Mahoney, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was on hand for the event and unveiled the Proud to Honor trophy to the crowd.
• The live show also featured appearances from Emmy Award-winning actor Bryan Cranston and Adam Scherr (host of Everything On The Menu on USA Network, globally known as WWE icon Braun Strowman).
• The show was produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, the Emmy-winning company that has produced The Emmy Awards and several Super Bowl Halftime shows, among many others.
• Show segments honored those who serve and their families and spotlighted the nonprofits that support them – all designed to amplify the impact and ensure it lasts long after the checkered flag.
• It aired on USA Network and streamed on Fandango’s free streaming platform. The entertainment segments aired on E! and streamed on TikTok LIVE.
• In addition to NASCAR, IMSA and HSR, Ford partnered with leading organizations that share its commitment to honoring the military and veteran communities to bring the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic to life, including TikTok, T-Mobile, USAA, Versant and USA Network. Additional partners included Margaritaville at Sea, Michelin, Sparco, and VP Racing Fuels.
IMPACT FOR MILITARY AND VETERAN FAMILIES
• The event was more than a race or a concert. It was a night built to create moments of connection and joy for the military and veteran community and to raise awareness for the nonprofits that support them, no matter where in the world they’re serving.
• To that end, Ford established the Proud to Honor Fund, powered by GlobalGiving and Ford Philanthropy. Every dollar donated goes directly to organizations supporting military members, veterans and their families: Blue Star Families, Camp Southern Ground, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Team Rubicon, TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), and the Travis Manion Foundation.
• Half of ticket proceeds benefit Blue Star Families, and Ford Philanthropy provided 1,000 complimentary tickets to eligible military and veteran families.
• On-site donations and merchandise sales also supported the six nonprofits, and the Proud to Honor Fund stays open after the event at globalgiving.org/proudtohonor.
QUOTING ZAC BROWN, FOUNDER, CAMP SOUTHERN GROUND, AND ONE OF THE CLASSIC’S EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
“Tonight was about the men and women who serve and the families who stand beside them. Seeing all six branches come together on the track and in the audience, was something special. I’m grateful to Ford for creating a night where we could say thank you and support organizations like Camp Southern Ground and so many other critical nonprofits that are there for military and veteran families every day.”
QUOTING KATHY ROTH-DOUQUENT, CEO OF BLUE STAR FAMILIES
“Events like the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic are so important because military readiness doesn’t start and end with the service member. It starts at home, with the families who serve alongside them. When military families feel seen, supported, and connected to their communities, they are better equipped to navigate the challenges of military life. And when service members know their families are supported, they can focus on the mission. That’s why partnerships like this one with Ford matter so much. Supporting military families isn’t simply the right thing to do. It’s an investment in the strength and readiness of our All-Volunteer Force.”
QUOTING MARK RUSHBROOK, GLOBAL DIRECTOR, FORD RACING
“I love the fact that our company is doing a race like this tonight. Yes, we’re a car company, but we’re also a people company and a family company. The military and our veterans are very important to us. To be able to celebrate them with a race on the track, where all six divisions are represented, and then add some entertainment as well, I think it’s just a great way to recognize those who have done so much for us.”
