FORD PERFORMANCE: NASCAR MICHIGAN NOTES
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads the home track for Ford as Michigan International Speedway hosts the first of two weekends this year. Ford Motor Co. has won half of the NSCS events run at the Irish Hills facility (46-of-91), which includes 34 wins by Ford and 12 under the Mercury banner. In addition, it was the site of Ford’s 1000th NASCAR triumph in 2013. Here are some other notes about Ford’s MIS history.
THE FIRST TIME…Ford reached victory lane at Michigan International Speedway was in its inaugural season of 1969 when he captured the second of the track’s two season events on Aug. 17. Cale Yarborough won the first event driving a Mercury for the Wood Brothers earlier in the year while Pearson finished second, but this time it was different as the Silver Fox put his Holman-Moody Ford on the pole and dominated as he 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 NSCS winner.
THE LAST TIME…Ford won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan it lifted not one, but two trophies. Joey Logano drove his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Fusion to victory in the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 18, 2013 to give Ford a sweep of that year’s MIS races and rights to the first manufacturer’s trophy awarded by the speedway. Much like Pearson did in Ford’s first win at the track, Logano won the pole and then led the most laps en route to his only win of the season and first with new car owner Roger Penske.
IN BETWEEN…Ford has won more NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway than any other manufacturer with 34. Even more impressively, is that if you include Mercury’s 12 wins, Ford Motor Co. has gone to victory lane half of the time in NASCAR’s MIS history (46-of-91, 51%).
In addition, the Ford brand has won at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway in 25 of the last 31 years, including eight season sweeps (1985, ’86, ’91, ’94, ’96, ’97, 2002, ’13).
Bill Elliott is the only driver to win four straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, sweeping both events in 1985 and ’86.
Cale Yarborough won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway in 1969, driving a Mercury for the Wood Brothers. Yarbrough, David Pearson, and Bobby Allison combined to win 12 of the first 15 races at the track in either a Mercury or Ford. Pearson won eight times (1F-7M) while Allison and Yarborough won twice each in Mercury’s.
Ford’s 34 all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Michigan International Speedway have come from 13 different drivers: Bill Elliott (7), Mark Martin (4), Dale Jarrett (4), Greg Biffle (4), Davey Allison (3), Rusty Wallace (3), Matt Kenseth (2), Carl Edwards (2), David Pearson (1), Geoffrey Bodine (1), Ernie Irvan (1), Kurt Busch (1), Joey Logano (1)
FORD RACING 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
