FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: MICHIGAN ADVANCE
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will compete this weekend at Michigan International Speedway while the NASCAR XFINITY Series runs at Mid-Ohio on Saturday.
Ford will be looking to extend its string of success at MIS that began when the facility opened in 1969. Ford has won at least one MENCS race in 36 of the 50 years the track has been in operation, including 12 season sweeps. In fact, Ford Motor Company has won almost half of the MENCS events held as Ford (36) and Mercury (12) have combined to capture 48 of the 98 races.
Jack Roush has dominated at his home track as he leads all owners in series victories in both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (13) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (5). He has 23 overall wins at the track when his five NASCAR XFINITY Series is added to that total.
Ford has also run well at Mid-Ohio, having won three of the first five events held at that facility. Three different drivers have won on the road course, including Sam Hornish Jr., who captured the event last year for car owner Roger Penske.
FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT MIS
· Ford has 36 all-time series wins at MIS, which is the second-most for any track currently on the circuit. Daytona is tops on the list with 37.
· Clint Bowyer has a chance to become the first Ford driver to sweep MENCS races at MIS since Bill Elliott did it in 1986.
· Jack Roush has the most wins among car owners at MIS with 13 while the Wood Brothers are next with 11.
FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT MIS
· Ford has 5 series wins at MIS.
· Greg Biffle won the first two series races held at the speedway (1999 and 2000).
· Jack Roush leads all owners with 5 series victories as Travis Kvapil (2007), Erik Darnell (2008) and Colin Braun (2009) joined Biffle on the MIS win list.
FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT MID-OHIO
· Ford has a series-best 3 wins at Mid-Ohio in 5 all-time starts.
· AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher and Sam Hornish Jr. have Ford wins at the track.
· Roger Penske has won this event twice (Allmendinger and Hornish).
BOWYER GOING FOR MIS SWEEP
Clint Bowyer won his second race of the 2018 season when he captured the Firekeepers Casino 400 in June. Bowyer led a 1-2-3 finish for Ford and Stewart-Haas Racing, edging teammates Kevin Harvick (2nd) and Kurt Busch (3rd). Bowyer led eight of the 133 laps, which was shortened from its scheduled 200-lap, 400-mile distance because of rain. He took advantage of a quick two-tire stop during his final trip to pit road, and held off Harvick on the final restart before rain stopped the event. The win was Bowyer’s 10th of his Cup career and first at the two-mile track.
LOGANO WINS FOR TEAM PENSKE
Joey Logano started and won from the pole for the second time in his career at Michigan International Speedway when he captured the June race in 2016. Logano finished ahead of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson with Penske teammate Brad Keselowski ending up fourth. The new aerodynamic package, promising to produce lower downforce, didn’t disappoint as there were 14 lead changes with Logano leading six times for 138 total laps. The win gave Team Penske its 50th Cup win with Ford and produced the 100th victory for Roush Yates Engines in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
MERCURY AND FORD SWEEP MIS OPENING SEASON
Ford Motor Co. swept the inaugural season of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway in 1969 when Cale Yarborough (Mercury) and David Pearson (Ford) took turns going to victory lane. Yarborough won an intense battle in the track opener on June 15 after passing Lee Roy Yarbrough with three laps to go to take the Wood Brothers to victory lane. That capped a finish which saw Yarborough, Pearson and Yarbrough swap the lead 20 times over the final 146 laps. The second date took place on Aug. 17 and this time it was Pearson and Holman-Moody taking the checkered flag. Pearson sat on the pole and led 79 of the 165 laps completed. The race, which was originally scheduled to be a 600-mile event, was halted at that point and declared official due to rain. Pearson went on to win a record nine times at MIS, which puts him as the speedway’s all-time MENCS winner.
FOUR STRAIGHT FOR AWESOME BILL
Bill Elliott is the only driver to win four straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, sweeping both events in 1985 and ’86, and he capped that impressive streak in dominating fashion. Elliott led 125-of-200 laps on Aug. 17, 1986 to beat Tim Richmond to the finish line and win the Champion Spark Plug 400. Elliott went on to win seven career races at MIS and currently ranks third on the all-time list, trailing only David Pearson (9) and Cale Yarborough (8).
JARRETT WINS FIRST CUP RACE
Dale Jarrett registered his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in memorable fashion at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 1991. Jarrett, who was in second season driving for the Wood Brothers, found himself in furious battle with Davey Allison, who stalked him over the final dozen laps in his No. 28 Texaco Havoline Thunderbird. Allison made a move to the outside coming off turn four and got alongside Jarrett as the two took the white flag together. They took turns exchanging the lead, but never left each other’s side. As they came off turn four both Fords made contact, but it was Jarrett who ended up edging Allison by eight inches at the finish line.
BIFFLE WINS FORD’S 1,000TH
Greg Biffle posted Ford’s 1,000th NASCAR victory when he took the checkered flag on June 16, 2013 in the Quicken Loans 400. The milestone win, which included combined victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck, NASCAR XFINITY and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, was Biffle’s second straight at MIS and fourth overall. The race was shaping up to be a battle between Biffle, who was leading, and a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson, but a flat tire ended Johnson’s chances with two laps to go.
LOGANO WIN RESULTS IN TWO FIRSTS
When Joey Logano won the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 2013 it represented his first win with Ford and new car owner Roger Penske. But it also marked the first time the speedway awarded the Michigan Heritage trophy, which goes to the winning manufacturer of every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at MIS. Logano, who won the pole and led a race-high 51 laps, passed Mark Martin for the lead with four laps to go after Martin’s car ran out of gas.
FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP MICHIGAN WINNERS
1969 – David Pearson (2)
1984 – Bill Elliott (1)
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1986 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1987 – Bill Elliott (2)
1988 – Davey Allison (2)
1989 – Bill Elliott (1)
1990 – Mark Martin (2)
1991 – Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine
1996 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett
1997 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin
1998 – Mark Martin (1)
1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2000 – Rusty Wallace (2)
2002 – Matt Kenseth and Dale Jarrett
2003 – Kurt Busch (1)
2004 – Greg Biffle (2)
2005 – Greg Biffle (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (1)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2012 – Greg Biffle (2)
2013 – Greg Biffle and Joey Logano
2016 – Joey Logano (1)
2018 – Clint Bowyer (1)
