AVONDALE, AZ – November 6, 2023 – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix on Saturday while Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney won the NASCAR Cup Series championship on Sunday, completing a weekend sweep of both series by Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines. This weekend also marked the first time an OEM has won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series championships in the same season since 2001, and the sixth time that has happened in NASCAR history.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Team Penske, and Stewart-Haas Racing on the Cup and Xfinity Series championships,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “It’s been a challenging year, but the leadership at Ford Performance, our Ford partnered race teams, and all the employees at Roush Yates Engines continued to work on our racing programs and never gave up! Cole (Custer) and Ryan (Blaney) battled throughout both races and earned their respective championship titles! We are blessed to be a part of the Ford family and provide championship-winning race engines.”

“As much as we’re a car company and we make and sell cars and trucks and we’re out here racing them, we’re also a family company, a people company and it’s all about the people that are racing these cars inside the shop and ultimately the drivers that get it done on track. Those three drivers that had a win this weekend to win a championship, to have Ben Rhodes, Cole Custer and Ryan Blaney as champions for this sport and representing our brand, we’re really proud of what they’ve done. I knew they all could do it and really glad to see them as champions,” commented Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance.

“It was somewhat of an up and down year, but you’re gonna have those moments and through the summer we just worked really hard to get back to where we needed to be and set a deadline for the playoffs and we met that deadline. I’m just super proud of the effort by everybody at Team Penske who put in tons and tons of hours of hard work and nobody really got down. They just put their heads down and decided to really put in a lot of work and it showed up, especially these playoffs and especially the last five weeks. It’s so cool to have all of their hard work pay off, so they should be proud,” commented Blaney.

Ryan Blaney started Sunday’s race in P15, behind fellow championship 4 playoff contenders Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Kyle Larson. The first non-competition caution came out on lap 109 after a brake rotor failure on Christopher Bell’s car ended his day. Stewart-Haas’s Kevin Harvick finished Stage 1 in P2, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher in P6, and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in P10.

RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher went on to win Stage 2, passing Ross Chastain for the lead with 14 laps to go in the stage while Ryan Blaney finished P6. With 31 laps remaining in the race, Blaney restarted sixth while Larson was third and Byron fifth, but the Team Penske driver passed Byron three laps later and then battled Larson before passing him on lap 292 of the 312-lap event. Blaney finished the race in second place, highest of any championship 4 driver, behind Ross Chastain. This year’s race was the first time since NASCAR instituted its winner-take-all final race championship format in 2014 that the winner of the final race of the season was not a driver racing for the title. RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher finished in P5, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick in P7, and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell in P9.

Cole Custer started Saturday’s race in P7, second highest of the playoff contenders. As the green flag came out to start stage 2, Custer passed John Hunter Nemechek and maintained the lead throughout the entire stage to take the stage win. In a race that produced eight cautions for a total of 46 laps, Custer led a race-high 96 of 202 laps. The end of the race came down to Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek in a three-wide battle for the lead. Custer dove to the inside of the dogleg after starting on the outside during a restart and pulled away while Allgaier and Nemechek battled behind for second. Custer went on to win the race 0.601 seconds ahead of second place Sheldon Creed. Stewart-Haas teammate Riley Herbst finished in P4.

“I thought it was over. I mean, I went from first to third and I was able to shift the car all night and the Doug Yates horsepower worked out and pulled me off the corner. I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart, but I can’t say enough about these guys. I mean, we started the year off and it was a struggle and we kind of had to dig deep with each other and really talk about how to get better. To see how much this group has grown through the year and to be a part of something, I knew I wanted to work with JT. I knew that he was the guy that could make it happen and I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else. I just can’t thank Gene Haas enough. He’s given me opportunities and I wouldn’t be here without him. I can’t thank him enough, and Ford Performance, Haas Automation, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s awesome to bring one back to Stewart-Haas right now. Man, I’m gonna enjoy this. I’ve been waiting to hear Wayne on the radio for a few times now, so I’m pumped,” commented Cole Custer.
39 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 458 WINS – 420 POLES

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class AS9100 Rev D/ISO 13485 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

PHOENIX RACEWAY

RACE: NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP RACE DATE: NOVEMBER 5, 2023

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

START: 27TH STAGE ONE: 30TH STAGE TWO: 35TH FINISH: 35TH POINTS: 24TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric closed out his sophomore season in the NASCAR Cup Series with a 35th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang started 27th and reported to crew chief Brian Wilson that his car was a little free on entry and exit. Cindric would manage to bring his car home in the 30th-position at the end of Stage 1. When the race resumed on lap 68, Cindric would battle for the free-pass position back on the lead lap, which he would get thanks to a caution on lap 110. With some improved adjustments on the Discount Tire Ford Mustang, Cindric hoped to use the opportunity to gain track position. Unfortunately, he would contact the outside wall coming off turn 4, which prompted an extended pit stop for repairs. Great work got the Discount Tire Ford Mustang back on track and Cindric managed to cross the line in 35th-position under power at race’s end.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Certainly bummed to end our season like that. We made a lot of progress on our Discount Tire Ford Mustang in a short amount of time. We managed to get the free pass and started driving back through the field. I made a small mistake in traffic and touched the wall. We had to change a toe link under green and put us several laps down. Thanks to my guys for getting the car back together. Of course, super happy for Ryan [Blaney] and everybody on the No. 12 team and cool for Team Penske to go back-to-back.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/DUTCH BOY FORD MUSTANG

START: 15TH STAGE ONE: 10TH STAGE TWO: 6TH FINISH: 2ND POINTS: 1ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney joined elite company Sunday night at Phoenix Raceway as the 29-year-old became the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion. With the triumph, Team Penske secured it’s 44th national championship in the team’s 57-year history. This marked the first time the organization has won back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series championships and became the 12th-time Team Penske has won back-to-back titles in various racing series.

Blaney started Sunday’s race from the 15th position and methodically began his charge toward the front. He would follow fellow Championship contender Christopher Bell through the field to bring home a 10th place finish in Stage 1. Strong service by the Menards crew would see Blaney gain two spots off pit road.

A strong restart would see Blaney move up to sixth and battle both Bell and Kyle Larson for most of Stage 2. As the long run progressed, Blaney began to catch William Byron, who to that point had led the Championship 4 drivers since the drop of the green flag. Blaney would struggle with drive off and manage to bring home a sixth-place finish in Stage 2.

He would restart fifth for the final run to the championship in the final stage. Around lap 206, Blaney passed Martin Truex Jr. for third and eventually passed Byron for second and the championship lead. By lap 221, Blaney began to close the gap to leader Ross Chastain. The Menards Ford proved to be strong on the long runs and Blaney used various lines to try and pass the No. 1 car. He would eventually fall to third when the final caution of the race came out on lap 276. Strong service got Blaney off pit road in the sixth position. On the restart, Blaney made some nifty moves around both Byron and eventually Larson to move back into the second position and the Championship 4 leader. Blaney utilized long run strength again and began to pull away from the Nos. 5 and 24 cars. He claimed the runner-up position in the race, but most important, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I think our team did an amazing job not giving up. It was somewhat of an up and down year, but you’re going to have those moments and through the summer we just worked really hard to get back to where we needed to be and set a deadline for the playoffs. I am just super proud of the effort by everybody at Team Penske who put in tons and tons of hours of hard work, and nobody really got down. They just put their heads down and decided to really put in a lot of work and it showed up, especially in these playoffs and in particular the last five weeks. It’s so cool to have all their hard work pay off, so they should be proud.”

“It’s been over 10 years since I walked through the doors of Team Penske. It’s hard to believe it’s gone by so fast. I was telling everybody all week that having the opportunity to go back-to-back Cup championships has not been done. It’s not very often you get to do something in motorsports that Mr. Penske hasn’t done, so to be able to be a part of this and bring him another championship is very special.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 17TH STAGE ONE: 16TH STAGE TWO: 15TH FINISH: 18TH POINTS: 12TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano wrapped up his final day as the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion with an 18th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Logano started in the 17th position and would hold station in what proved to be a track position race. He radioed to crew chief Paul Wolfe he would need a big adjustment on his first pit stop to improve a loose-handling condition. Logano would finish Stage 1 in the 16th position. Stage 2 would see much of the same as the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang would remain on the free side. He remained around the top-15. Logano would contact the outside wall late in Stage 2; but would come home in 15th position. The final stage would see him make his way near the top-10 for the first time all day. He would run as high as 11th when the final caution of the day waved on lap 276. Unfortunately, Logano would be caught speeding on entry to pit road which forced him to restart 24th. Try as he might, Logano would rally for an 18th-place finish at the end of 312 laps of competition.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Certainly wish we could have been more competitive with our Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Congratulations to Ryan [Blaney] and Roger [Penske] on back-to-back titles. So cool for the organization and proud of what the No. 12 team and everybody at Team Penske has accomplished.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The 2023 NASCAR Awards will be held November 29 and 30 at the Music City Center in Nashville.

No. 17 Team Finishes Fifth in Season Finale at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 5, 2023) – Chris Buescher capped off a career season Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, finishing fifth in the Fastenal Ford Mustang.

“I wish we would have been in the Championship 4 because we certainly had a shot at it here today,” Buescher said after the race. “I’ve never had that much fun here at Phoenix and I surely appreciate all those guys and girls’ hard work to get us to that point. It was a great race. We got behind on one pit stop and then I think we had something happen at the end. It felt like we dropped a cylinder or something to the point we weren’t 100 percent. To still battle and come home fifth was a fantastic race for us.”

Buescher was the winner of stage two, and led 18 laps midway through the 312-lap Championship race Sunday. His weekend began with a solid, ninth-place qualifying effort, the best of his career at Phoenix.

The opening stage of 60 laps ran caution-free, with Buescher driving to a sixth-place result. He restarted inside the top five, and maintained the top five position for the next 80 laps. The first non-stage caution flew at lap 108 with Buescher in fifth, and he lined up fourth on the ensuing restart.

From there, he set sail and took the lead on lap 171, and held it to the stage end at lap 185. The pit stop under the stage break saw troubles on the right front with Buescher lining back up eighth for stage three.

A green-flag pit cycle, and final caution on lap 274, were the only breaks remaining in the race. Buescher was sixth at the final yellow with 37 to go, and restarted 10th with 31 laps remaining. He again showed his prowess, powering back into the top five in the closing laps to fifth.

It marked Buescher’s ninth top five of the season and 17th top-10 of 2023, both career records.

“I’m super proud of everybody on this team. What a fantastic year. I would have loved to been in that Championship 4 because I think we would have had a real shot at this thing today. It’s a huge accomplishment for this season and I can’t wait until next year.”

Castrol Edge Ford Earns Top-15 after Early Stage Points

AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 5, 2023) – Brad Keselowski finished 15th at Phoenix Raceway Sunday in the Castrol Edge Ford Mustang, capping off a strong end to the 2023 NASCAR season.

The 2012 Cup Champion battled all the way back from the rear, after missing qualifying Saturday due to the birth of his son back in North Carolina. Despite starting at the tail end, Keselowski powered his way through the field and into contention midway through the action.

The Castrol Edge Ford was 17th to end the first stage at lap 60, and restarted 13th for stage two. A caution midway through the stage split it even, with Keselowski in 13th at the time of the restart. He went on to enter the top-10 at lap 171, the same time his teammate – Chris Buescher – took the lead.

Keselowski would finish ninth in stage two, and restarted seventh for the final segment. A green-flag pit cycle, and final caution with 37 laps left, put Keselowski with solid track position late. He restarted eighth with 31 to go, and was well inside the top-10 in the closing laps, before getting hit in the final five laps to finish 15th.

Keselowski and the No. 6 team finish eighth in the points standings to end the 2023 campaign.

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team closed the 2023 Cup Series season with a 26th-place finish in Sunday’s Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.

Burton started the 312-mile race from 25th place and finished 27th in the first 60-lap Stage, which ran under the green flag from start to finish.

In the second Stage, Burton finished 26th but was lapped by the leaders in the closing laps.

In the third and final segment of the race, Burton spent countless laps in the Free Pass position as the first driver a lap down, but the caution flags didn’t fly in his favor and he ended the race in 26th place, one lap down.

The finish of Sunday’s race saw Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, a former Wood Brothers driver, outrun his fellow championship contenders to capture his first Cup Series title.

It also was the first Cup title for Blaney’s crew chief Jonathan Hassler, whose first stint as a Cup crew chief was on the No. 21 Ford in 2021. Blaney drove for the Wood Brothers from 2015-2017 and delivered the team its 99th win at Pocono in his final season aboard the No. 21 Ford.

Team Penske, which fields three Cup entries including the No. 12 team of Blaney and Hassler, shares an alliance with the Wood Brothers and the No. 21 team.

“All of us here at Wood Brothers Racing are really happy for Ryan, Jonathan, everyone on the No. 12 team and all their families,” Eddie Wood said. “Every team starts the season hoping to win a championship, but it’s extremely difficult to actually do it.

“To see people we’ve worked with accomplish what they did makes us very proud. They were – and still are – part of our Wood Brothers racing family.”

Wood also congratulated team owner Roger Penske,Team Penske and all the people at Ford Performance for their second-straight title in NASCAR’s elite division.

“It’s a victory for all of us in the Ford camp,” he said.

Burton and the No. 21 team will return to the track on Feb. 4 for the non-points Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. The points-paying, season-opening Daytona 500 gets the green flag on Feb. 18.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Omnicraft®
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 176,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 22ND
FINISH: 19TH
OWNERS POINTS: 32ND

Carson Hocevar’s Post-Race Thoughts: Pretty solid run for you today, you hung inside the top-15 a lot. How would you describe your day?

“I thought it was pretty good. It was a good way to cap off the year, and I don’t want to say graduate, but just know that I can run with a lot of these guys. We’ve had a bit of a dry spell here in this No. 42 car, so it was good to give these guys a good run. The No. 43 car was really fast, they just were kind of hurt on track position obviously there with their call. But I thought the No. 42 car was a top-15 car, I just kind of slid through my box a little bit and cost us a few spots. We just didn’t fire off as good as what we needed probably. I think we had a good long run car, just needed a little more.”

Reflecting on your time with LEGACY M.C., how have they helped prepare you for your full-time run next year? How good of an experience has this been for you?

“It’s been great honestly. I checked all my boxes per se. I’ve had a little bit of everything. I’ve had good performances like today, had days really good, had days really bad, and far in between. You know, it’s been a lot of fun to get to learn this car and some of the characteristics and what it takes to run here on Sunday. Laps are so valuable.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Allways Rewards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 7TH
FINISH: 20TH
DRIVER POINTS: 27TH

Erik Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Just an okay day and it just didn’t end up really good. I wish we could have finished it off better, but it was a good season overall. We just have to execute. Thank you to our friends at Chevrolet and Allegiant for everything.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.

In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.