Ford teams showing strength as NASCAR Chase looms
The Cat in the Hat is back and he’s coming out fighting just in time for NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Over the past two years, it’s been as if the Ford camp was a no-show on race day. Three NASCAR Sprint Cup wins in 2009 and Greg Biffle’s solo Pocono Raceway victory 21 races into this season were the only feathers in Jack Roush’s fedora over the past 18 months.
However, the Blue Oval brigade’s ability to lock six Fusions into the top 15 in July at Chicagoland Speedway — an intermediate track which has historically been Roush’s strength — proved to be a harbinger of Ford’s subsequent turnaround.
Sunday’s performance by Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports, an affiliate team to Roush, at Atlanta Motor Speedway was further evidence of Ford’s ability to compete with the front-runners. Throughout the course of the evening, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard raced within the top 10.
The dogfight between Edwards, Kahne and Jimmie Johnson for the lead that began on lap 281 and continued for a dozen laps offered some of the best racing of the season and was reminiscent of the old battles between the Nos. 48 and 99.
It was those very brawls between Johnson and Edwards that prompted the pundits to select The Carl as the driver that would finally stop the No. 48 team’s domination in 2009 following a nine-win season the previous year.
Although that prediction never panned out, the Edwards on Sunday night sounded more like the contender of old.
“We’re back,” Edwards said with an enthusiasm that was missing during the first half of the season. “We’re doing it. We’re scoring more points than anybody. We’re heading into the Chase. I feel like we locked ourselves in and I just want to thank Aflac for sticking behind us. That’s what they do, they stick behind you when things are bad.
“It hasn’t been good, but the last couple of months have been great. I’m excited about going to Richmond. I’m real excited about starting the Chase. We had something that could win the race tonight and that’s a blast.”
When testing was banned following the 2008 season, Roush Fenway Racing lagged behind NASCAR’s other powerhouses when it came to simulation research and it showed. This season the organization has benefited from the addition of Richard Petty Motorsports joining the Ford fold and a new engine finally coming to fruition.
Edwards acknowledges the team’s diligence for the turnaround.
“(crew chief) Bob (Osborne) and the guys have just been working hard and that’s what it’s about,” Edwards said. “When they go to the shop and we’re not running the way they want, they’ve got to keep digging and keep working.
“It’s pretty cool that they’re able to do that and everybody stuck behind us – my fans, Ford and everybody. I know we don’t look like we did in 2008, but we’re better set to go race for that championship now than we’ve ever been.”
Calling a spade a spade
NEWS FLASH! Ryan Newman races hard.
Well, isn’t that what he’s supposed to do?
For the last few weeks, Newman’s competitors have been acting as if this is some sort of a revelation. Add Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne to that list after Sunday night. Both drivers blamed Newman for being too racy — even though Biffle had to ask his spotter Joel Edmonds if the No. 16 was three-wide prior his wreck on Lap 152.
And Newman’s charging through the field in the closing laps at Atlanta drew the ire of Kahne.
“I was just going down the straightaway and got hit from behind and I know it was the 39, so I feel like he lost us about 20 spots today,” Kahne said. “He said he got hit from behind and that forced him into me, so that’s racing, but either way, we’re the one that took the big shot there.”
With Newman starting on the front row for the Emory Healthcare 500 Sunday, his rivals were put on notice. However, after Newman was knocked out of the top 20 following the Biffle melee, he valiantly battled back to as high as fourth after restarting 13th on the seventh caution. Kahne just happened to pay the price for being in close quarters at the end.
"Oh, just racing stuff that went on out there,” said Newman. “Kasey is a good friend of mine and we've always raced hard. I got into the back of him there on the back straightaway on that restart, the same time the No. 18 (of Kyle Busch) hit me. You can watch the replay, and at least I think it was the No. 18; I got him crossed up and sideways and it ruined his day.
“It was unintentional, but it happens. It's happened in enough situations this year where I've been told it's unintentional and it's ruined my day. He felt like he needed to retaliate. Fortunately I kept mine straight and we went on. I told him that long story short, I'd rather talk about it before we go out and do that again. I'm good. We're good. Everything is fine."
Newman’s eighth-place finish elevated the No. 39 Army Chevrolet two positions to 13th in the point standings.
