FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: BRISTOL NOTES
All three of NASCAR’s top series are competing this week at Bristol Motor Speedway and each of them are in different phases of their respective seasons. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off its second round of the playoffs as the Round of 8 begins on Thursday night while the NASCAR XFINITY Series closes out its regular season on Friday. The weekend wraps up with the first-round finale for the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday night as four drivers will be eliminated from the field of 16.
This Week’s Schedule:
Thursday, Sept. 15 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 9 p.m. (FS1)
Friday, Sept. 16 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 7:30 p.m. (USA)
Saturday, Sept. 17 – NASCAR Cup Series, 7:30 p.m. (USA)
FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT BMS
· Ford has 40 all-time series wins at BMS.
· Joey Logano won back-to-back Bristol Night Races in 2014 and 2015.
· Ford has won 2 of the last 3 races run on the Bristol concrete.
ROUND OF 16 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 12 advance after Bristol)
- Joey Logano +40
- Ryan Blaney +36
- Austin Cindric +2
- Chase Briscoe -3
- Kevin Harvick -35
FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BMS
· Ford has 10 series wins at BMS.
· Riley Herbst has clinched a spot in the series playoffs.
· Chase Briscoe recorded Ford’s last win at Bristol in 2020.
FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT BMS
· Ford has five series wins at BMS.
· Joe Ruttman won the inaugural series race in 1995.
· Brad Keselowski’s lone series win came at Bristol in 2014.
ROUND OF 8 NCWTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 advance after Homestead)
- Zane Smith +24
FIVE FORD CUP DRIVERS LOOKING TO ADVANCE
Bristol Motor Speedway marks the end of the first round for the NASCAR Cup Series and five Ford drivers will be looking to advance to the Round of 12. Joey Logano (4th) and Ryan Blaney (5th) are in solid positions while Austin Cindric (12th) and Chase Briscoe (15th) are firmly on the bubble. Kevin Harvick (16th) likely needs a win as he sits 35 points below the final transfer spot, but with three career wins at the half-mile short track, it’s not out of the question. Cindric is currently in the final transfer spot, but is only two points ahead of Kyle Busch and three in front of Briscoe.
NXS REGULAR SEASON FINALE SET FOR FRIDAY
The NASCAR XFINITY Series will end its regular season on Friday night with the top 12 drivers in the standings advancing to its seven-race playoff. Riley Herbst clinched his spot in the postseason after finishing 16th last weekend at Kansas Speedway. The playoff berth will be his second straight with Stewart-Haas Racing and third overall since joining the series full-time in 2020. Sieg, on the other hand, is battling with Sheldon Creed in points for the final slot. Sieg currently holds the 12th and final spot, but only has a 13-point lead over Creed.
SMITH KICKS OFF ROUND OF 8 AS TOP SEED
Zane Smith heads to Bristol Motor Speedway as the top seed as the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series kicks off on Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Smith, on the strength of his seven stage wins and three overall victories, has a nine-point lead over second-place Chandler Smith and a 24-point advantage over fifth-place Stewart Friesen.
A THREE SERIES SWEEP
One of the most memorable Ford weekends in recent years came in August of 2014 when Ford swept all three NASCAR series races – Camping World Truck, XFINITY and Cup at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski captured his first NCWTS victory while Ryan Blaney took the XFINITY event. Joey Logano capped the weekend sweep when he passed Matt Kenseth with 45 laps to go and then had to hold off Keselowski to post his third win of the 2014 season. Logano was in control until caution came out with 69 laps to go. While he pitted for four tires, Kenseth and others stayed out which put Logano sixth on the ensuing restart with 63 to go. With fresh tires, however, he was able to move to the front in less than 20 laps and then hold off his Penske teammate down the stretch. It marked the first time Ford swept all three divisions in the same weekend since 2006 when Mark Martin (NCWTS) and Kenseth (NNS and MENCS) did it, ironically, at Bristol.
LOGANO WINS BACK-TO-BACK NIGHT RACES
Joey Logano held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick over the final 25 laps to win the Bristol Night Race for the second consecutive year in 2015. Logano led four times for 176 laps, including all but four of the final 147 laps and that was because he pitted when the caution came out with 71 laps to go while Penske teammate Brad Keselowski opted to stay out for track position. Even though Keselowski had the lead on the ensuing restart, Logano’s four fresh tires enabled him to get the lead immediately and he held on over the final 64 circuits to post his 11th career victory.
FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL
1963 – Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen
1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)
1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett
1966 – Dick Hutcherson (1)
1968 – David Pearson (Sweep)
1969 – David Pearson (2)
1970 – Donnie Allison (1)
1971 – David Pearson (1)
1988 – Bill Elliott (1)
1990 – Davey Allison (1)
1991 – Alan Kulwicki (2)
1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace (2)
1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)
1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)
1998 – Mark Martin (2)
1999 – Rusty Wallace (1)
2000 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)
2001 – Elliott Sadler (1)
2002 – Kurt Busch (1)
2003 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)
2004 – Kurt Busch (1)
2005 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (2)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2014 – Carl Edwards and Joey Logano
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2018 – Kurt Busch (2)
2020 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2021 – Joey Logano (Dirt)
FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL
1989 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Kenny Wallace (2)
1996 – Mark Martin (1)
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (1)
2009 – David Ragan (2)
2014 – Ryan Blaney (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (1)
2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)
FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL
1995 – Joe Ruttman
2004 – Carl Edwards
2006 – Mark Martin
2014 – Brad Keselowski
2015 – Ryan Blaney
