Roush Fenway Racing’s seven combined NASCAR wins in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series to start 2011 is the team’s best total since starting the season with 11 wins in 2005. Only twice in the team’s 24-year NASCAR history has Roush Fenway started the season with more wins before the Memorial Day weekend.
The start is the team’s fastest since 2005, when Roush Fenway placed all five of its entries inside the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Ironically, the team posted a win in the Sprint All-Star race that season as well.
“It’s a testament to the hard work everybody has been doing,” said team owner Jack Roush. “There’s a lot of discussion about hard work in this business, but the Roush Fenway guys have really suited up for it during the winter, and the manufacturer part with Ford is working well.
“The guys have worked hard and I’m just proud to be a part of their program,” added Roush. “They’ve got me really close to the door, so there aren’t as many tools I can get my hands on and not as many things that I can screw up as I used to, but the manufacturing piece that is headed up by (general manager) Robbie Reiser and the job that he does with all the managers in the shop is just extraordinary. I can’t imagine anybody is doing a better job than they are today at getting these cars ready.”
The team moves into the weekend with Carl Edwards holding a commanding lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and Matt Kenseth is a virtual lock to clinch his seventh ‘Chase’ berth in eight seasons. In addition, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is only nine points outside of the lead in the Nationwide Series point standings.
The Sprint Cup program will look for its fifth Coca-Cola 600 win on Sunday and its fourth Sprint Cup points win of the season, while the Nationwide program looks for its 11th Nationwide win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Roush Fenway Racing PR
