TALLADEGA, Al— Once a top-team on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Roush-Fenway went to the wayside after 2014. Once fielding five cars, they are now fielding two at the Cup level. Losing names like Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth was a shot for the organization. However, Roush Fenway stayed strong despite the performance on the track.

 

Although team officials won’t call it a resurgence, Roush Fenway has been competitive since going to a two-car organization this season following the departure of Greg Biffle at the end of 2016.

 

Winning the GEICO 500 was a mark of success in the “turning the ship”.

 

“Its ebbs and flows, its ups and downs.  I’ve been stock car racing for 30 years in 2016, so this is my 31st year.  But I had already been racing on a national level, drag racing and road racing for 20 years before I started with the stock car, with NASCAR,” said Jack Roush about the past few seasons.

 

Being part of Ford Performance, the emphasis is on the camp being one. That one mentality is the strongest it has ever been and at the top of their game, according to Roush.

“They give us a lot of tools in our toolbox and they give us unfettered support from their technical people that the things that they’ve got labs and all to do that are applied to what we’re doing, and to be able to carry the banner for Ford is really special,” Roush explained.

 

Being “new” to the organization, Brian Pattie, crew chief for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., believes that the priority has changed from within the organization.

 

“Just focus, focus one week at a time, execute, and after the checkered flag falls on a Sunday, we’ll regroup on Monday and start over.  Just try and not get ahead of ourselves.  That’s just the biggest part.  Obviously we’ve got better people and better spots and the cars are faster.  That helps tremendously,” stated Pattie.

 

Finding new success in NASCAR, Roush was confident that Stenhouse and Trevor Bayne would win races in 2017. Over the off-season, Roush restructured internally to put the right people in the right places to gel in an effort to bring the organization back to winning form.

 

The start of 2017 has been a new wind in the sails of the organization. Officials and workers still believed in the program, despite not having the numbers. The organization continued to believe in their personnel and drivers that they would work their way out of the slump.

According to Steve Newmark, team president, this win was a confirmation that all their hard work has paid off.

 

“I think this is just kind of affirmation of the work that’s been put into it, and we really do follow kind of the — Jack’s leadership and the principles at that he’s instilled in everybody, and it’s been a promote from within organization, so you have a lot of people at Roush Fenway that started on the ground floor and have worked their way up and have had ups and downs, and Ricky is probably kind of the poster child of that, so I think that’s why it makes it so enjoyable for everybody to be involved,” stated Newmark.

 

With his victory at Talladega, Stenhouse, Jr. locks himself into the NASCAR playoffs. Roush-Fenway believes that Bayne will make the playoffs with a win. Bayne currently sits 16th in points, just one point ahead of 17th place driver, Aric Almirola.

Caleb Whisler
Latest posts by Caleb Whisler (see all)