Ford’s Subsequent Gen NASCAR Mannequin Can’t Get Right here Quickly Sufficient for Stewart-Haas and Roush Fenway Racing
Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin merely want to remain out of hassle on Sunday at Martinsville, and Joey Logano understands that successful is sort of actually his solely method into NASCAR’s Championship 4.
Barring a Logano victory, that probably leaves the drivers of two Toyotas and the 2 different Fords battling for one spot in Phoenix on Nov. 7. All and all, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have to be feeling a complete lot higher than Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney in the mean time.
Sure, it’s been that irritating a season for almost everybody related to Ford. Certain, successful in Phoenix would make issues higher. Proper now, although, a complete bunch of Ford groups can not watch for the Subsequent Gen automotive to roll into their garages to place 2021 behind them.
Setting the stage for the ultimate NASCAR Cup Collection elimination race
Kyle Larson has gained the primary two races of the third NASCAR Cup Collection playoffs section, advancing him to the Championship 4. Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports activities calculates that Chase Elliott can end 15th in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevy and advance even when he doesn’t earn any stage factors. Equally, Denny Hamlin, main the fleet of Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas, can end 12th and advance with none stage factors.
So, assuming an uneventful 500 laps and 263 miles, which is undoubtedly a nasty assumption at Martinsville, 5 drivers might be preventing for one spot within the Championship 4.
At 26 factors beneath the cutline, successful at Martinsville appears to be Joey Logano’s solely hope to contend for the championship in Phoenix.
At one and 6 factors, respectively, beneath the cutline, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski are in higher form within the different two Staff Penske Fords. Rounding out the sphere is JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. at three factors beneath the cutline and Kyle Busch at one level above it.
Thus, Bush, Blaney, Truex, and Keselowski might be staging a race inside a race.
It’s been a disappointing season for the Ford groups
Excluding Staff Penske, 2021 has been a forgettable 12 months for the drivers manning Fords. And even the Penske storage will most likely fortunately accept advancing one automotive to the Championship 4 after each Keselowski and Joey Logano certified a 12 months in the past.
Think about how downtrodden the opposite main multi-car groups should really feel by comparability.
At Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin Harvick has gone from 9 victories to none this 12 months. Aric Almirola’s win at New Hampshire is SHR’s solely triumph up to now, and that got here after no Ford from any crew reached victory lane over a stretch of 12 races. Virtually as disappointingly, Cole Custer went from a win and 16th place in factors as a rookie to 2 top-10 finishes and 27th place in 2021.
Over at Roush Fenway Racing, Ryan Newman has been a shadow of himself since final 12 months’s horrifying Daytona 500 wreck, and Chris Buescher is wrapping up one other nondescript season.
The 2022 NASCAR Cup season might be a recent begin for Ford
Ford employed a “High quality is Job 1” advertising and marketing marketing campaign for its client division way back, however disgruntled clients launched a “High quality is Job 1.01” parody. Bettering its NASCAR standing when the Subsequent Gen automobiles roll out is the brand new Job 1, and there might be loads of updates within the first months. However at the very least Ford needs to be on equal footing with Toyota and Chevy … at the very least till one of many three makes the primary huge Subsequent Gen breakthrough.
Not that it means a lot as a result of the crew has been the Baltimore Orioles of NASCAR, however Rick Ware Racing is shifting over to full-time affiliation with Ford, enlisting Roush Yates as its engines store, and forging an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing. Extra Fords ought to translate to a faster studying curve throughout all groups.
Penske is Penske, which is to say that the outfit will plug Austin Cindric in for Brad Keselowski and never fear about surrendering an excessive amount of floor. In the meantime, Keselowski is one in all Ford’s greatest hopes for a rebound. He could have pores and skin within the recreation at Roush Fenway Racing in 2022 as a minority proprietor, and the thought is that he can inject vitality and experience into beefing up their efficiency.
Regardless of the case, although, Ford is sort of actually keen to shut the books on 2021.
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