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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Ford Unveils Sleek 2013 Fusion
A collection of news items from Tuesday's stops on the Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway...
Mike Hembree  |  Posted January 24, 2012   Concord, NC
Ford Racing unveiled its 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup race car in a loud-and-proud media event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Although Blue Oval officials had tinkered with the idea of putting the Mustang model – now being raced in the Nationwide Series – in the 2013 Sprint Cup Series, the ultimate decision fell to the redesigned Fusion, the next generation of the model currently being raced by Ford.

Ford Racing director Jamie Allison welcomed the car, driven by Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle, into the CMS garage as rock music blared and smoke covered the car.

Ford drivers, team members, Blue Oval officials and NASCAR officials were on hand for the debut.

“All along we had planned to bring Mustang into Cup because that was our iconic car,” Allison said. “But we looked at this car (the Fusion) and its streamlined sleek roofline, which is unique in the midsized (automobile) segment. It has a lightness of design, and it’s a dynamic car that looks fun to drive.

“Our fans have asked for one thing – to bring back the identity so that the cars that are raced are like the cars in their driveway.”

Over the years, NASCAR race cars evolved into common-template vehicles that show little resemblance to street vehicles. NASCAR, Ford and the sport’s other manufacturers, having heard the voice of the fans, are targeting the 2013 season as one that will present race cars with silhouettes very similar to those of passenger cars.

“Today is a very significant landmark for us to point to as we go down the road and look back 50 years from now on the evolution of NASCAR, as we get the opportunity, along with Ford and other manufacturers, to introduce and look around the corner to 2013,” said NASCAR president Mike Helton, who attended the event.

The new car includes significant passenger-car design elements, particularly in the front and rear.

New Crew Chief Fired Up For Montoya – Chris Heroy once worked at Hendrick Motorsports, and many people in racing make that sort of employment a lifetime endeavor.

But he got the chance late last year to move to Chip Ganassi Racing and work with driver Juan Pablo Montoya, and that pushed him to packing his bags – and his toolbox. Since late November, Heroy has been Montoya’s crew chief.

This season, he’ll attempt to be part of the Ganassi turnaround.

Running full-time in Sprint Cup since 2007, Montoya has won on the road courses at Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen, N.Y., but remains winless on the circuit’s oval tracks. Heroy plans to change that.

Chris Heroy is excited about his new endeavor. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
“Winning on an oval race is all about execution,” he said. “There are so many things that can go wrong. It’s essentially about keeping that forward momentum. A poor pit stop or a wreck or something like that ends it.

“We have everything we need. Juan’s a fantastic driver, the cars are good, the pit crew is solid. I really look forward to changing that and getting that win. He’s plenty capable.”

Heroy, who worked for five years in open-wheel racing as an engineer in the Toyota Atlantic Series, watched Montoya succeed on that level.

“I saw Juan win the CART championship, win in IndyCar, be successful in Formula One,” he said. “I think he’s one of the greatest drivers of my generation. To have an opportunity to work with a driver like Montoya is a no-brainer for me.”

Shelton Tuning Up – Country music singer Blake Shelton has been announced as the musical guest for the Sprint All-Star Race May 19 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Shelton will perform a pre-race concert for one of the season’s biggest races.

He and his wife, Miranda Lambert, are scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl next month.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 29 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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