Ford Performance – New Hampshire Motor Speedway Advance

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will serve as host to the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series this weekend as the regular season continues to wind down. The Cup Series has seven races remaining while nine events remain for the Xfinity drivers before the postseason begins.

STARTING A NEW STREAK

Ford has had a great deal of success in recent years at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, winning four straight from 2018-21 before having that four-race streak snapped a year ago. Aric Almirola, last weekend’s pole-winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway, won in 2021 while Brad Keselowski (2020) and Kevin Harvick (2018-19) were also part of that run. Besides those three drivers, reigning series champion Joey Logano also has one win with Ford and two overall at his home track.

Overall, Ford has 17 all-time victories at NHMS.

Kevin Harvick: “Our flat track stuff has been really good. Our short track stuff has always been really good and I think as we go, this year our short track stuff is in the same category, so it’s definitely a racetrack that we’re looking forward to going to and I can’t wait to finally hopefully get to victory lane. After Nashville, having the fastest and having a tire go flat and Phoenix and a couple of the other places where it just seems like it all hasn’t come together, but they’re doing a great job of putting fast cars on the racetrack and Loudon is one of those places that checks a lot of boxes in order for us to go up there and hopefully have a good weekend.”

Joey Logano: “Winning at your home track is special for a lot of reasons. There are a lot of memories there, for one, but it’s the people that are there with you more times than not. Your family is there, your friends are there, people that don’t get to go to every single race, and you celebrate with them in victory lane. That is just the coolest moment and it’s probably different for others, I don’t know. For me, Loudon is always going to hold a special place in my heart for that reason.”

Aric Almirola: “When I look at these few races ahead of us Loudon, Michigan, Richmond and then Daytona the last race, those are opportunities that I feel like we have a legitimate shot to go and win if we do everything right.”

WEEKEND SWEEP

Brad Keselowski had a weekend to remember as he became the first driver to sweep a NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, achieving the feat on July 12-13, 2014. Keselowski led 138 of 305 laps, including the final two under a green-white-checkered finish, to beat Kyle Busch to the finish line. The win was Ford’s fourth straight series win, marking the first time that had happened since 2001.

A PERFECT 300 RACE

Jeff Burton is the last driver to lead every lap of a NASCAR Cup Series race when he did it on Sept. 17, 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte started from the pole, but Burton grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row. Even though Labonte and Dale Earnhardt challenged him throughout the day, Burton never gave up the lead, becoming the first driver to lead every lap of a series race since Cale Yarborough did it in the Music City USA 420 at Nashville Speedway on June 3, 1978. The race, which was run with the use of restrictor plates, ended under caution after Sterling Marlin was involved in an accident with three laps remaining. It was Burton’s fourth win at the speedway and concluded a stretch that saw him win four consecutive seasons at the Magic Mile.

OWNER/DRIVER FIRST

Ford’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in the track’s second year of hosting events in 1994. That’s when Ricky Rudd outdueled Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps to post his 15th career win. Rudd led 55 laps on the day, but won it after a memorable side-by-side battle with seven laps to go in which he passed Earnhardt on the inside, only to see the black No. 3 crossover and pull alongside for the next lap. Rudd eventually pulled in front and held on to take the Slick 50 300 on July 10, 1994. Rudd went on to post 23 NSCS wins in his career and had at least one victory in 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98), but none may have been as satisfying as this one because it marked his first triumph as an owner/driver.

COLE CUSTER CRUISING

Cole Custer has hit his stride in the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang, registering 11 consecutive Top-10 performances that dates back to April 1 at Richmond Raceway. This feat, which is a season milestone, includes two wins (Portland and the Chicago Street Race) and three poles (Martinsville, Nashville, Chicago). He currently sits third in the points standings – climbing nine spots from the beginning of his streak.