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Daytona Beach, Fla. — Usually, when someone says, “It’s about time,” it’s after the fact—like, when the Sparkster shows up with his homemade chili. Right now, though, nothing has happened to warrant such a statement.
Still, it’s about time.
Ford has not won on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since Ol’ Steady Matty Kenseth won at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana back in February to open the season with back-to-back visits to victory lane.
Since then it’s been a big ol’ ofer, as in oh-for-March, oh-for-April, oh-for-May and oh-for-June.
That’s not saying the Blue Oval boys haven’t been close … think Carl Edwards and 200 yards away at Talladega, or Greg Biffle and a half-lap of fuel.
But, really, it’s about time.
Nonetheless, two wins headin’ into the unofficial midway point at Daytona leaves Ford only one victory behind it’s pace from 2008.
Wha’?
That’s right, one year ago, right now, Ford had all of three victories—and none from Matt Kenseth.
And, if you’ll remember, 2008 didn’t turn out too bad.
It wasn’t until the second Pocono race that things started to pick up. Startin’ right there and then, Ford closed the ’08 season with eight victories in the final 16 races—a nice, healthy .500 battin’ average by anybody’s math.
When it was over—the season, that is—Ford had finished with 11 victories, includin’ a series-leadin’ nine by Carl Edwards, who competed for championships in both the Cup and Nationwide Series, and closed the Cup season with three wins in four tries.
So, things really aren’t too bad. Ol’ Steady Matty has those two wins—which just happen to be two more than all of last year—and Edwards and The Biff haven’t gotten their allotment yet.
And the series is headin’ to Daytona.
“Daytona,” to many, is interchangeable with “stock-car racin’.” It is for Ford, anyway. Kenseth won the season-openin’ Daytona 500 there. The Biff won the July race there in 2003. Jamie McMurray won the July race there in 2007. The Wood Brothers have won more races—14—there than any other race team. And, although the Woods won’t be back at on the circuit until next weekend at Chicago, Kenseth and Biffle and Edwards and McMurray and Ragan and Labonte and Menard will be racin’ this weekend. Ragan, too, don’t forget, has been pretty good at restrictor-plate races in his so-far short career.
So, maybe instead of waitin’ until the second Pocono race, the Ford racers will start their second half surge this weekend.
No. 1
Did you happen to see who’s in first place in the NHRA Funny Car Series? Yep, Force.
Uh, nope, not John Force, but Ashley Force Hood.
Ashley moved into the top spot by defeatin’ Ron Capps in the second round in Norwalk, Ohio, last weekend. John also made it to the semis. Mike Neff was the No. 1 qualifier.
And, Bob Tasca III made it to the finals. He’s in sixth place in the standings as the series will be idle this weekend.
HOW ’YA DOIN’?
The Sparkster spent last weekend in New Hampshire, which is one of his absolute favorite trips. There’s just something about the northeast, and that something usually is rain, which made its usual visit to the track, but it’s more than that: the countryside, the history, the people.
And, this time there, the Spark was stopped more than once—away from the race track—by people who wanted to say exactly what they thought about Ford: great things. There was the worker at a toll booth in Boston who wanted to know whether Ford was “goin’ to make it,” and how much he liked Ford—especially Mustangs. There was the worker at a store in Concord, N.H., who said how much she liked her Fusion.
It was good to hear, and it was good to know that people have been keepin’ an eye on what Ford has been doin’.
Now, while plannin’ this week’s fireworks celebration, the Sparkster went through the letters…
Sparky,
I just saw on the web that Ford is going to run Fiestas at Pikes Peak and now the X Games. What’s going on with this new car and will we see it racing here some more?
Sidney,
Ohio
Sid, the Sparkster has seen a lot of cool race cars in his days, but the Fiesta Rallycross cars coming over from Sweden to run Pikes and the X Games are about as cool as a Michigan lake in March. The Swedish team Motor Sport Evolution is bring the cars here, and one set of drivers will compete at the big mountain, and another three drivers – including old Sparky fave Kenny Brack – will take on the X Games. Should be fun.
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