Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team overcame the loss of first gear early in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and came away with a 22nd-place finish.

Burton started Sunday’s scheduled 68-lap race from 16th place, but lost first gear on a pit stop with two of 15 laps remaining in the opening Stage.

The loss of the lowest gear meant Burton couldn’t be as aggressive on restarts and in negotiating the slow-speed corners on the 3.41-mile, 20-turn race course.

He finished the first Stage in 34th place and the second 15-lap Stage in 28th.

Crew chief Brian Wilson elected to stretch the fuel in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang before making the second stop of the day at Lap 39.

A caution flag flew just after the stop. As other drivers made their pit stops, Burton advanced to the front row for the subsequent restart with 25 laps left to run.

Without low gear he fell back and was running 28th when a caution flag flew four laps shy of the checkered flag.

Wilson brought the No. 21 Mustang to pit road for fresh tires and fuel.

Dodging wrecks ahead of him while being as aggressive as he could under the circumstances, Burton gained three spots on the first attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish. He continued his move forward over the final two Overtime runs, gaining three more positions and taking the checkered flag in 22nd place.

Burton and the No. 21 team now head to Richmond Raceway for next Sunday’s 400-lapper on the three-quarter-mile oval.

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.

Fifth Third Bank Ford Rebounds Big in Chaotic Ending at Road Course Race

AUSTIN, Texas (March 26, 2023) – Chris Buescher and the Fifth Third Bank team employed a never give up approach in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA to earn a solid eighth-place finish, Buescher’s sixth-straight top-10 in road course racing.

“It was our first bumper car race of the year,” Buescher said after the race. “Our Fifth Third Ford Mustang ended up pretty solid there towards the end, we got a solid top-10 out of it. That’s a big testament to this team and its ‘never give up’ attitude.

Buescher had his work cut out for him starting from the 32nd position, but wasn’t fazed, even earning stage points in stage two on his way to the team’s second top-10 of the season.

“I had to really power through, and we had some issues there that probably came from getting run into … backwards a couple times. But, I’m proud of everybody. That was a good finish for a really hard-fought day.”

The opening stage of 15 laps had a pair of cautions, one on lap two for a spin by teammate Brad Keselowski, and the other at lap 11 as crew chief Scott Graves immediately called the No. 17 to pit road as the caution flew. Buescher was 19th on the ensuing restart and ended the stage in 20th.

Stage two, also 15 laps in distance, was less hectic with no full-course yellows. Buescher ran long on track and ultimately gained the lead for a lap before finishing fifth in the stage. From there, he was solidly inside the top-15 for the remainder of the day working to 11th by lap 43 on a restart.

After the last pit cycle played out with around 10 to go, Buescher got back to 16th on a restart with seven laps remaining before a string of yellow flags occurred, resulting in three-straight NASCAR Overtime restart attempts.

Despite a chaotic ending, Buescher maintained composure and maneuvered to seventh on what was the final restart, going on to finish eighth.

The No. 17 team returns to action next week at Richmond Raceway. Race coverage Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. on FOX. Radio coverage can be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
RACE: TEXAS GRAND PRIX DATE: MARCH 26, 2023

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

START – 3RD STAGE ONE – 2ND STAGE TWO – 22ND FINISH – 6TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric finished with a respectable sixth-place finish at the end of Sunday’s Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang was destined for a strong performance in Sunday’s 231.88-mile marathon, starting from third position after a fierce run in qualifying. Cindric wasted little time claiming the lead, doing so during the restart on Lap 5. In a spirited battle for the lead, Cindric remained among the top three throughout the opening segment, finishing Stage 1 in the second position. A lengthy pit stop on Lap 23 caused the driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang to lose significant track position, and he ultimately finished Stage 2 22nd in the running order. Cindric hovered around the 20th position early in the final stage, but maneuvered through various late-race cautions to secure his second top-10 finish of the season.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Great to lead some laps. Good to be able to show some speed in our Discount Tire Ford Mustang. It’s one of those days where you win or lose as a team. There were quite a few miscues on pit road that probably kept us from having the track position. Then, it’s a fight. Fair recovery to finish sixth. A lot of things had to go our way for those restarts. But for a long, hot day, we never gave up.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/KNAUF FORD MUSTANG

START – 38TH STAGE ONE – 27TH STAGE TWO – 34TH FINISH – 21ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 team had an up-and-down afternoon at Circuit of The Americas, ultimately concluding with a 21st-place finish. Despite starting towards the back of the field, Blaney made up eight positions on the opening lap and was up 15 spots by lap 10 in 23rd. Following a four-tire stop with a round of adjustments under caution on lap 12, Blaney crossed the line 27th at the end of Stage 1. On lap 17, Blaney was spun by the No. 5 on the entrance of turn 12, sending him into the gravel while sustaining damage to the left rear. Blaney brought the No. 12 Ford Mustang to pit road as the race remained green, causing him to go a lap down in 35th. He eventually rejoined the lead lap via the free pass following a caution on lap 41. With nine laps to go, Blaney broke into the top-15 on the restart before the race went into what would be the first of three overtime attempts. On the first overtime restart, Blaney was turned by the No. 91 at the apex of turn one, causing the left rear tire to go down before the caution flag waved. Blaney battled back through the field on the following two restarts before settling for a 21st-place finish.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “Certainly, wasn’t the day we were looking for. Starting in the back we managed to gain quite a few spots early but got hit really hard in the left rear and had to make repairs. Glad we had a shot late for a decent finish, but those overtime restarts are crazy and sometimes it works out and other times it doesn’t.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START – 15TH STAGE ONE – 22ND STAGE TWO – 11TH FINISH – 29TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano started 15th and finished 29th in a wild Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. The driver of the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang ran amongst the top-10 the majority of the day before late race issues spoiled a good finish. Logano would receive an early pass-thru penalty for shortcutting the esses on lap six. The defending Cup Series champion managed to overcome the time lost to bring home a 22nd-place finish in Stage 1. Using early pit strategy, Logano made his way into the top-10 by lap 24 and brought home an 11th-place finish in Stage 2. He would run as high as second place by lap 41 and would settle in ninth when the caution waved with four laps to go. Logano managed to make it through the carnage of two green-white-checkered restarts, but unfortunately his luck ran out in overtime attempt number three when he was spun out. He would cross the line in 29th position at the race’s end.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “We had a decent day going with the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. Paul (Wolfe) made some good strategy calls to gain track position. Felt like we had a top-10 car, but depending on how the end played out maybe a top-five. The restarts at the end normally play out that way and we ended up spun out. We’ll move on to Richmond.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond Raceway on Sunday, April 2. Coverage of the event will be carried on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Wyndham Rewards Ford Solid Midway through Chaotic Road Course Race

AUSTIN, Texas (March 26, 2023) – In the return to COTA for the NASCAR Cup Series’ third event at the 20-turn circuit, Brad Keselowski’s day ended prematurely due to a mechanical failure. He finished 35th.

NASCAR’s newest road course rules were on display Sunday for the first time as stage breaks are eliminated, with stage points being awarded at the scheduled lap end of each stage under green-flag conditions. Keselowski worked his way up to 21st by the end of the opening stage of 15 laps that saw a pair of caution flags early, the first resulting from a spin by the No. 6.

Stage two ran all green as Keselowski finished 28th. He again powered his way into the top-20, advancing to 19th at lap 48 with 20 to go. Then, with 11 to go, his Ford Mustang came to a rest on the track as a mechanical failure sent him to the garage for the afternoon.

The No. 6 team returns to action next week at Richmond Raceway. Race coverage Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. on FOX. Radio coverage can be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Former Formula One World Champion Drives Mobil 1 Ford Mustang to 18th-Place Result at COTA, Completing Full Race Distance in 39-Car Field

Date: March 26, 2023
Event: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Round 6 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas (3.426-mile, 20-turn road course)
Format: 68 laps, broken into three stages (15 laps/15 laps/38 laps)
Note: Race extended seven laps past its scheduled 68-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Start/Finish: 24th/18th (Running, completed 75 of 75 laps)
Race Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Jenson Button finished 18th in his NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The 2009 Formula One world champion qualified 24th for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix and kept his No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang relatively clean throughout the 68-lap race around the 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course. Button was joined on the grid by fellow F1 champion Kimi Räikkönen and the duo spent much of the race in close quarters. Räikkönen qualified just ahead of Button in 22nd, but Button got the better of Räikkönen in the race, finishing 11 spots ahead of the 2007 title winner.

Jenson Button, Driver of the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang:

“It was an emotional rollercoaster. At first, it was terrible. I mean, I must’ve been last by the end of it, and I was just like, ‘Everyone, go. I just need to drive and find a rhythm.’ I’ve never gone through a corner two wide, so often. And trying to place my car in the right place – I just got it wrong every time. Normally, if you’re a little bit slow through a corner, nobody tries to overtake you from the outside – because they’re not going to make it all the way on the next one. But here they do, because they get a wheel inside for the next one, and if you turn in, you turn around. The first stint was really bad. It was embarrassing for me. I was like, ‘Alright guys, we need to pit, freshen the tires and I need some air. I need some fresh air.’ I got that. The pace was good, consistency was good. I was really happy, and passed a few cars, which was nice. We got a little bit unlucky with the safety car because it was just two laps before our window. Pitted, then the next stint was mayhem. We also made a couple of changes that just didn’t work. Big oversteer – went from the car feeling great to really difficult to drive. I also had a massive whack from Kimi (Räikkönen), and it fell off after that. The car wasn’t quite right. Every time I turned in, the rear tires would chatter, then immediately to oversteer. It was really difficult, but toward the end, we made some good calls stopping and putting on fresh tires. I enjoyed the last three restarts – got good placement and good overtaking moves from the outside. Finished 18th after almost stopping because I had heat exhaustion. It was so hot. I don’t have a fan in my seat, which really didn’t help me too much. It was so hot, I thought I was going to faint in the car. So, I stopped twice for a minute. They put ice on me, gave me loads of water, and I went back out. I was so close to getting out of the car because I thought I was going to faint. I must’ve drank eight-nine bottles of water during the race. The team kept me calm, and it’s the reason why we got a good result in the end. So, I was happy.”

Notes:

● This was Button’s sixth overall start at COTA. He made five Formula One starts at the track between 2012-2016 with a best finish of fifth in the 2012 United States Grand Prix.

● Button won 15 grands prix in a nearly two-decade F1 career (2000-2017), including a dominant six-win campaign in 2009 that netted him the championship. Upon retiring from F1 in 2017, the British driver has taken on a variety of challenges with NASCAR being the latest. It began with sports cars in the Japanese Super GT Series’ GT500 class, where he won the 2018 championship. He then ran a five-race stint in the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship, a drive that included the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Button has even competed in off-road endurance racing, running the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000 in 2019.

● Tyler Reddick won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix to score his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at COTA. His margin over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.411 seconds.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 17 laps.

● All but 10 of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Ross Chastain leaves COTA as the championship leader with a 19-point advantage over second-place Busch.

Next Up:

Button’s next NASCAR Cup Series race is the Grant Park 220 on July 2 on the streets of downtown Chicago. The 100-lap race around the temporary 2.2-mile, 12-turn street course begins at 5:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Button’s final Cup Series race of the 2023 season is the Verizon 200 at The Brickyard on Aug. 13 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Noah Gragson, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 10TH

FINISH: 20TH

POINTS: 26TH

Noah Gragson Post-Race Thoughts: “Had a solid day in our Black Rifle Coffee Camaro. We ran inside the top-10 and top-15 for a large part of the day with good speed. We kept working on the car. Luke Lambert and the rest of the guys called a great strategy. The pit crew did an awesome job. We put ourselves in position during the green-white-checkers to be in the top-10. I ended up getting spun and rallied back. We never quit. I’m very proud of our Black Rifle Coffee team and excited to get to Richmond and try it again.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 8TH

FINISH: 23RD

POINTS: 21ST

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: ““Frustrating day here in at COTA. I felt like we had a pretty fast Allegiant Chevy but it seemed like we kept getting hit. There were a couple times there on restarts that we just flat got ran over. Wrong place wrong time for sure, and it stinks that we weren’t really able to have anything to show for the speed we had. I’m thankful that we were able to show as much promise as we did early on with a good run in qualifying, and I can tell we are moving in the right direction at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Onto Richmond.”

Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Club Wyndham Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 31ST

FINISH: 38TH

POINTS: 38TH

Jimmie Johnson was collected on a Lap 1 multi-car accident at Circuit Of The Americas.

Post-race thoughts: “What a disappointing finish. Unfortunately we got off to a slow start yesterday and qualified poorly. We all know what happens when you start in the back and unfortunately we were caught up in that. Just a wild and crazy first lap that was taking place. I thought I had the wreck missed, but I just saw a flash of red out of nowhere. I guess there was more going on the outside of the No. 6 car (Brad Keselowski) as it was spinning, and I saw him and just got collected. I’m most disappointed for Club Wyndham. They came on board for this race, and they’ll be with me at the Coca-Cola 600. Really disappointed we couldn’t give them a better show.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional motor racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule in 2023.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates alongside GMS Racing, which fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS Racing in 2012, Gallagher, along with one of the NASCAR garage’s most accomplished figures, Team President, Mike Beam, built a victorious organization, capturing the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

Our mission at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is to create an inclusive environment for auto-racing enthusiasts, celebrate the past and future legacies of our partners and team members, and to compete for race wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.