- Mike Neff, driver of the Old Spice Mustang and development driver for the new Ford BOSS 500 engine, was the runner-up in the NHRA race in Madison, Ill., after losing to Tim Wilkerson in the final round. Neff moved up three spots in the standings to 11th place.
- Andrew Caddell, driver of the No. 9 TC Motorsports Mustang FR500S, won the inaugural race of the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup in Atlanta.
- Carl Edwards was the top Ford driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond, Va., finishing seventh in his No. 99 Fusion. Edwards remains 10th in the standings.
- David Ragan was the top Ford driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Richmond, Va., finishing fourth in his No. 6 Fusion. Ragan moved up two spots in the standings to fourth place.
DEARBORN, Mich., May 4, 2008 – Rookie driver Mike Neff was the runner-up in the NHRA Funny Car event and his teammate John Force earned his 1,000th elimination round victory in Madison, Ill., to highlight Ford Racing action this past weekend.
Neff entered Sunday’s event having never won a round in his pro racing career, but after he beat Melanie Troxel in the first round, he went on to defeat Mike Ashley in the second round and teammate Robert Hight in the third round before barely losing to Tim Wilkerson in the final.
Neff, who is developing the new Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor, came within .017 seconds of victory as he left the line virtually the same time as Wilkerson and stayed even with him down the entire length of the quarter-mile track.
“It was a good day for all of us,” said Neff. “It was a big shot in the arm. We were getting a little frustrated, (but) the car ran great all day. We didn’t back our way into the final. We made four good runs and we lost on a squeaker. It was a good drag race. We just came up a little short. We aren’t greedy. It was a great day for us in the Old Spice Ford Mustang camp.”
Neff’s teammate John Force secured his 1,000th elimination round victory in his 501st event after defeating Ron Capps in the first round. Ashley Force entered the day leading the standings, but dropped to second place after losing to Tony Pedregon in the first round. Ashley sits 24 points behind Wilkerson for first place in the standings.
The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup held its inaugural event this weekend as the series debuted in Atlanta. Andrew Caddell, driver of the No. 9 TC Motorsports Mustang FR500S, had the car to beat as he led every session of practice, won the pole in qualifying and had the dominant car during the race before becoming the first driver ever to claim victory in the series.
“I’m really happy to get the first win in Mustang Challenge, but every time that yellow came out I wasn’t so sure that it was going to happen,” said Caddell. “I’d pull out a five-second lead, and then it’d all go away with the yellows. It was interesting on those restarts! Fortunately, we were able to stay up front and get the win. This Mustang is a blast to drive, and I have to thank TC Motorsports for giving me such a great car all weekend.”
The 45-minute race contained two yellow flags, with the race coming to an end during the second caution period. Right behind Caddell, Jamie Slone drove his No. 6 Rehagen Racing Mustang FR500S to a second place finish, while Pratt Cole’s No. 61 RP Motorsports Mustang FR500S was third. Twenty-two new Mustangs competed in the first event.
“Congratulations to Andrew,” said Ford Racing Technology Director Dan Davis. “He ran a really clean race and did a fantastic job. Ford Racing and Mustang enthusiasts all over are really excited about this new Ford Racing Challenge for the Miller Cup, and this was a great opening weekend.”
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series both ran in Richmond, Va., this weekend, with Ford driver Carl Edwards landing a top-10 finish in each race.
In the Sprint Cup race, Edwards took his No. 99 Fusion to a seventh place finish. His Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle had a tremendous effort, finishing 14th despite losing his pakes midway through the race
“It was a long night,” said Biffle. “I had a really good car. I probably had a top-five car, but I lost my pakes. About halfway through they started fading and then three-quarters of the way – the last 50 laps – I had no pakes. I just got back off the gas, coasted in the corner and that’s all I could do. I just ended up where I did and ended up 14th, so I can’t complain.”
Friday night’s Nationwide Series race saw Edwards finish seventh in the No. 60 Fusion. He led for 126 laps, but a wrong adjustment during a pit stop cost him and he struggled to get back to the top the rest of the evening. Edwards remains second in the standings, just nine points behind series leader Clint Bowyer.
Edwards wasn’t the top Ford driver as David Ragan led the way for the Fusions, finishing fourth. The strong effort moved him up two spots in the standings to fourth place.
“We certainly had a car that could have won tonight, but this is a tough series,” said Ragan. “The guys that are winning on Friday nights win a lot on Saturday nights, so it was a lot of fun. It was a good run. We stayed up in the front all night long, so we’ve got us a good car to take to some more short tracks.”
Next weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series will compete in Darlington, S.C.
Ford Racing Technology
Ford Racing Technology, based in Dearborn, MI, is responsible for major racing operations in North America, including NASCAR (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck), Grand American sports car racing, NHRA drag racing, USAC midget car racing and the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup. Ford Racing also oversees the development and marketing of Ford Racing Engines and Performance Parts, the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts, and the marketing of the Ford Racing pand through initiatives such as Team Ford Racing. For more information regarding Ford Racing’s activities, please visit www.fordracing.com.
