Roush Fenway Looks to Carry Momentum into 2012 Season

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Coming off one of the strongest outings in the organization’s ‘25 Winning Years,’ Roush Fenway Racing will look to build on the performance that saw the team place five different drivers in victory lane in 2012, while collecting 17 wins and a team-record 20 poles.

“We are certainly going to build from 2011,” said team co-owner Jack Roush who moves into his 25th season of NASCAR racing. “Last season was one of our best years ever – from the standpoint of how competitive our teams were across the board. Going into 2012, we’ve been able to concentrate our best people into the programs that we have. I think we’ll be stronger from a personnel standpoint.”

Roush Fenway came just one point shy of making NASCAR history in 2012; winning both the Nationwide Series driver and owner point titles and finishing in a tie for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Roush said he is pleased with the team’s preparations for 2012 and expects his organization to maintain and ultimately exceed the level of competition set in 2011.

“We’ve had all winter to work on lab tests and the fuel injection testing has worked out very well with no glitch or failure,” said Roush. “In addition, we have a solid sponsor lineup for 2012. Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.), Carl (Edwards), Greg (Biffle) and Matt (Kenseth) are all champions and Trevor (Bayne) won the Daytona 500 last season and is certainly in that vein, so sitting here from this vantage point 2012 looks great.”

However, after the up and downs of 24 seasons competing at NASCAR’s highest levels, Roush understands the team can ill afford to rest on last season’s laurels.

“I have cautioned everyone on the teams not to assume that the fact that we have all this momentum coming out of 2011, that we are assured to carry it into 2012,” said Roush.

But the wily veteran owner, who needs just one win to become the first owner in NASCAR history to amass 300, is optimistic.

“Well, the way I have it figured we are leading on this deal and we are going to be pretty slow to give it up,” added Roush.

The team kicks off its season this week at Daytona Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. Teams will take to the track on Friday (Feb. 17) for Budweiser Shootout practice, before Daytona 500 practice gets underway Saturday (Feb. 18). Roush will place three cars in Saturday’s (Feb. 18) all-star Shootout and four cars in next week’s famed Daytona 500 (Feb. 26).

RFR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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