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Sprint Cup
CUP: Ford Seeks End To Drought
Ford has not been seen in a NASCAR Sprint Cup victory lane this season; nine races – 6 wins by Chevrolet, 2 by Toyota and 1 by Dodge...
Greg Biffle behind the wheel of a Ford Fusion. Biffle is currently in third place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
There is a long list of winless streaks hanging over the Sprint Cup series these days.
Jeff Gordon hasn’t won a race in 38 events. Clint Bowyer is 0-for-71. Jeff Burton hasn’t won in 50 races. Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t seen a checkered flag first in 66.
Perhaps of more importance to Ford Motor Co. and its followers, however, is the fact that the Blue Oval has not been seen in a Sprint Cup victory lane this season. Nine races – 6 wins by Chevrolet, 2 by Toyota, 1 by Dodge.
Ford has been stalled since last Nov. 1, when Jamie McMurray, then with Roush Fenway Racing, won in a Ford at Talladega.
Ford has two drivers in the top four in Sprint Cup points. Greg Biffle is third, and Matt Kenseth is fourth. And Biffle has more top-10 finishes – 7 – than any other driver.
The big number facing every Ford driver and owner, however, is that large zero.
Asked if it’s like carrying an anvil around, Biffle said yes.
“We are carrying that anvil, and we are ready to conk someone in the head with it,” Biffle said. “It is tough. We want to win. I thought I had an opportunity to win last week [at Talladega Superspeedway], but they kept wrecking behind us.
“We will keep cracking at it, though. One encouraging thing is that we are close. Darlington [May 8] is a really good track for me. So is Dover [May 16]. I have run well here at Richmond, too. We have some good tracks coming up for us, so we will keep cracking at it.”
Ford didn’t exactly rip through the series last season, either. Ford drivers won only three races – the November run by McMurray at Talladega and the first two races of the season, by Kenseth.
Now victories are arguably more difficult to come by because of the addition of the green-white-checkered scenario and the pressure that situation puts on drivers and crew chiefs when late-race cautions bunch the field.
Two tires? Four tires? Stay on the track and gain positions but try to hold them without fresh tires?
It can be quite perplexing.
“This is always a what-if situation,” Biffle said. “Do you have six guys stay out behind you so fresh tires are three rows back, and then four guys took two and the rest have four? It all depends. If a guy starts behind you, or one or two behind you have fresh tires, then you are probably a sitting duck.
“The perfect scenario is that four or five cars behind you stayed out, four or five cars took two and then on back four. That would be the perfect scenario for a 10-lap shootout. You just never know until you get there, though.”
And Ford hopes to get there sooner rather than later.
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Grand Opening is set for May 11, 2010. Outdoor Opening Ceremonies are May 11th from 9 to 10 am ET free of charge, open to the public. Outdoor festivities including driver appearances and concerts May 11th from 10 am until 8 pm ET open to the public, free of charge. Tickets to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame are on sale now at www.NASCARHall.com or by calling 877-231-2010. The countdown to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is on! Visit www.NASCARHall.com/50days for daily updates about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Jeff Gordon hasn’t won a race in 38 events. Clint Bowyer is 0-for-71. Jeff Burton hasn’t won in 50 races. Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t seen a checkered flag first in 66.
Perhaps of more importance to Ford Motor Co. and its followers, however, is the fact that the Blue Oval has not been seen in a Sprint Cup victory lane this season. Nine races – 6 wins by Chevrolet, 2 by Toyota, 1 by Dodge.
Ford has been stalled since last Nov. 1, when Jamie McMurray, then with Roush Fenway Racing, won in a Ford at Talladega.
Ford has two drivers in the top four in Sprint Cup points. Greg Biffle is third, and Matt Kenseth is fourth. And Biffle has more top-10 finishes – 7 – than any other driver.
The big number facing every Ford driver and owner, however, is that large zero.
Asked if it’s like carrying an anvil around, Biffle said yes.
“We are carrying that anvil, and we are ready to conk someone in the head with it,” Biffle said. “It is tough. We want to win. I thought I had an opportunity to win last week [at Talladega Superspeedway], but they kept wrecking behind us.
“We will keep cracking at it, though. One encouraging thing is that we are close. Darlington [May 8] is a really good track for me. So is Dover [May 16]. I have run well here at Richmond, too. We have some good tracks coming up for us, so we will keep cracking at it.”
Ford didn’t exactly rip through the series last season, either. Ford drivers won only three races – the November run by McMurray at Talladega and the first two races of the season, by Kenseth.
Now victories are arguably more difficult to come by because of the addition of the green-white-checkered scenario and the pressure that situation puts on drivers and crew chiefs when late-race cautions bunch the field.
Two tires? Four tires? Stay on the track and gain positions but try to hold them without fresh tires?
It can be quite perplexing.
“This is always a what-if situation,” Biffle said. “Do you have six guys stay out behind you so fresh tires are three rows back, and then four guys took two and the rest have four? It all depends. If a guy starts behind you, or one or two behind you have fresh tires, then you are probably a sitting duck.
“The perfect scenario is that four or five cars behind you stayed out, four or five cars took two and then on back four. That would be the perfect scenario for a 10-lap shootout. You just never know until you get there, though.”
And Ford hopes to get there sooner rather than later.
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Grand Opening is set for May 11, 2010. Outdoor Opening Ceremonies are May 11th from 9 to 10 am ET free of charge, open to the public. Outdoor festivities including driver appearances and concerts May 11th from 10 am until 8 pm ET open to the public, free of charge. Tickets to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame are on sale now at www.NASCARHall.com or by calling 877-231-2010. The countdown to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is on! Visit www.NASCARHall.com/50days for daily updates about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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