Ford Performance NASCAR: Indianapolis Advance - Speedway Digest

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: INDIANAPOLIS NOTES

Indianapolis will be the hub of racing activity this weekend as all three of NASCAR’s top touring series compete. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will open its playoff season on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park before the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series take to the Grand Prix circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Here’s a look at Ford’s history at both tracks.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, July 29 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series @ IRP, 9 p.m. ET (FS1)

Saturday, July 30 – NASCAR XFINITY Series @ IMS, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sunday, July 31 – NASCAR Cup Series @IMS, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT IMS

Ford has 6 all-time series wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ford has won 3 of the last 4 Cup races at the Brickyard (all oval).
Dale Jarrett and Kevin Harvick have two Ford victories at the track.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT IMS

Ford is looking for its third straight series win on the IMS road course.
Chase Briscoe (2020) and Austin Cindric (2021) won the first two events.
Ford has led 83-of-124 laps in both races combined.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT IRP

Ford has two all-time wins at IRP.
Greg Biffle won Ford’s first race at the track in 2002.
Carl Edwards was Ford’s last winner in 2009.

GURNEY IS FORD’S ALL-TIME ROAD COURSE WINNER

NASCAR has competed on 16 different road courses during its history and Ford has had 21 drivers win 33 times overall. Dan Gurney leads the way with five, which included four straight wins at Riverside International Raceway from 1963-66 while driving for the Wood Brothers. Mark Martin, on the strength of three straight triumphs at Watkins Glen International from 1993-95, is second.

FORD’S ALL-TIME CUP ROAD COURSE WINNERS

5 – Dan Gurney

4 – Mark Martin

2 – Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Parnelli Jones, Ricky Rudd, Marcos Ambrose

1 – Chuck Stevenson, Eddie Gray, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Geoffrey Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney.

FORD’S ACTIVE WINNERS

There are three current drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series race on a road course with Ford. The most recent winner was Ryan Blaney, who captured the inaugural event at the Charlotte Roval in 2018. Kevin Harvick, who goes into this weekend with 23 career Ford victories in just over five years, got his first with the Blue Oval in 2017 when he won at Sonoma. Joey Logano scored his Cup victory at Watkins Glen International in 2015, which completed a weekend sweep after he won the NASCAR XFINITY Series race one day earlier.

OTHER FORD WINNERS

Besides the drivers mentioned above, Ford has five other competitors who have won on a road course in either the NASCAR Cup or NASCAR XFINITY Series. Brad Keselowski (Watkins Glen NXS with Ford, 2013); Chris Buescher (Mid-Ohio NXS with Ford, 2014); Michael McDowell (Road America NXS, 2016); Chase Briscoe (Charlotte Roval, 2018 and Indianapolis, 2020); and Austin Cindric (Road America NXS, 2020).

SMITH BEGINS TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE AS TOP SEED

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series begins its playoff season on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with Ford’s Zane Smith holding down the top seed after winning the regular season championship. Smith has a 15-point lead over second-place Chandler Smith and is 35 points above the cutline going into the first of a three-race stretch that will determine the Round of 8. Smith tops all drivers with three wins and has finished in the top 10 in all but three of the 16 races held so far this season.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT THE BRICKYARD

1996 – Dale Jarrett (Oval)

1997 – Ricky Rudd (Oval)

1999 – Dale Jarrett (Oval)

2018 – Brad Keselowski (Oval)

2019 – Kevin Harvick (Oval)

2020 – Kevin Harvick (Oval)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT THE BRICKYARD

2020 – Chase Briscoe (Road Course)

2021 – Austin Cindric (Road Course)

FORD CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT IRP

2002 – Greg Biffle