Ryan Newman Breaks Drought with Late-Race Strategy at Phoenix

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When the winner of Sunday’s Camping World 500 was announced, officials might have thought for a moment that they got the wrong envelope, à la Warren Beatty at the Oscars.

But, no, there was no mistake. Ryan Newman was the unexpected winner of the fourth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season after a late caution gave his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team the chance to break a drought dating to 2013. Continue reading

Tire Issue Sends Hamlin to Rear for Sunday’s Race

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 17, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Denny Hamlin got “screwed” during the first round of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.

No, another competitor didn’t impede Hamlin’s progress on his run. Crew chief Mike Wheeler described what happened in a tweet on Friday night. Continue reading

The Daytona 500: A Race Like No Other

Photo – Ford Performance

The Daytona 500 is recognized as the greatest stock car race in the world and on February 26, 2017 the 59th running will take place at Daytona International Speedway.  Ever since drivers ran up and down the famed beach course from 1936-58, Daytona has been synonymous with speed.  The first Daytona 500 at the newly-constructed Daytona International Speedway took place on February 22, 1959 with a field of 59 cars and crowd of over 40,000.  Since then, the race has grown to become one of the top sporting events in the country.

The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season begins on February 26 with the 59th running of the Daytona 500, a race that Ford has won 14 times overall, including four times in the past eight years.

This marks the first in a series of videos that will highlight Ford Performance’s involvement in “The Great American Race”. Continue reading

Jimmie Johnson Wins at Homestead to Claim Record-Tying Seventh Title

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Call him Seven-Time.

Jimmie Johnson joined NASCAR’s most exclusive club on Sunday, winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, putting the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on par with icons Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

“You’re a good man, you’re a great champion, and now you’re a seven-time champion,” crew chief Chad Knaus radioed to Johnson, who grabbed the lead from Kyle Larson through turns one and two during the first and only attempt at a two-lap overtime.

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Kyle Busch Wins at Phoenix, as Championship 4 XFINITY Field is Set

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It was just another routine Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway for Kyle Busch.

But nothing else in the Ticket Galaxy 200 was at all ordinary.

All the drama unfolded behind Busch, as eight drivers scrambled for four positions in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase’s Championship 4 Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Busch led 190 of 200 laps on the way to his tenth NASCAR XFINITY Series victory of the season, his tenth at the one-mile track and the 86th of his career, extending his own series record.

Busch beat runner-up Austin Dillon to the finish line by 6.115 seconds. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ran third in his first XFINITY Series start since 2013. Continue reading