- Carl Edwards won both NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. Edwards remained second in the Sprint Cup standings and moved up to second in the Nationwide Series standings.
- Mike Neff, driver of the Old Spice Mustang, made it all the way to the semifinal before losing to Frank Hawley at the NHRA race in Reading, Pa. Neff remained 10th in the standings and clinched a spot in the Countdown to the Championship.
- James Gue and Bret Seafuse were the top Ford drivers in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge race in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, finishing second in the No. 37 Mustang FR500C.
- Terry Borcheller, driver of the No.4 StableOne Racing Mustang FR500S, won the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge Race at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.
DEARBORN, Mich., August 17, 2008 – Jack Roush takes great pride in winning at Michigan International Speedway, the closest track to Ford Motor Company and his Roush Industries headquarters.
This weekend proved to be another example of that determination to win at home, as Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards swept this weekend’s NASCAR action in Brooklyn, Mich.
Edwards was in control for most of the Sprint Cup race, leading five times for a total of 84 laps. The win was Edwards’ fifth Sprint Cup victory of the season and the 12th of his career. He remains second in the standings, 222 points behind leader Kyle Busch.
“Four years ago today I ran my first Cup race for Jack Roush and he took a giant gamble on me,” said Edwards. “Jack won the race that day. I believe Greg [Biffle, teammate] won it, and we finished 10th and all five of the cars were in the top 10, and to be a part of that again today, for Ford Motor Company, for Roush and for all the guys, it’s an honor.”
Livonia, Mich., native Roush, who now has 11 Sprint Cup victories at his hometown track, was able to place all five of his cars into the top-10 again in this race, with four of his cars claiming the top five spots. Edwards’ teammates, David Ragan, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth, finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Biffle and Kenseth both improved their position in the Chase as Biffle moved up three spots to seventh place, while Kenseth moved up two spots to 10th. Ragan is tied for 13th in the standings, but is just 26 points out of 12th place, the final Chase spot, with three races remaining before the playoff begins. Their teammate Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 10 in the No. 26 Fusion.
Edwards had the dominant car in the Nationwide Series race as well, leading five times for a total of 71 laps. He moved up one spot in the standings to second place, just 113 points behind leader Clint Bowyer. It was his third win in the last nine Nationwide Series races.
Biffle grabbed another top-five with a fifth-place finish, and Kelly Bires crossed the line ninth in his No. 47 Fusion.
Four Ford drivers left the NHRA race in Reading, Pa., knowing that they had safely clinched a place in the Countdown to the Championship. Mike Neff entered the race on the bubble, but was able to lock himself into the playoff after advancing all the way to the semifinal. Unfortunately, he had to defeat two of his teammates, Robert Hight and Ashley Force, on his way there. Neff remains 10th in the standings.
“Getting in the Countdown was definitely one of our goals at the beginning of the year,” said Neff. “We really wanted to get in there this weekend solid so we didn’t have to worry about that going into Indy [in two weeks]. Indy is just such a high-pressure race. It feels good to get that monkey off our back.”
The other Ford drivers who have clinched spots in the NHRA playoff are Robert Hight, who is third in the standings, Ashley Force, who is fifth, and John Force who is in sixth place.
In the KONI Challenge race in Trois-Rivierese, Quebec, three Mustangs finished in the top five spots. James Gue and Bret Seafuse were the top Ford drivers in the race, finishing second in their No. 37 Mustang FR500C. Billy Johnson and Ray Mason were right behind in third place, and Dean Martin and Jack Roush Jr. grabbed a fifth-place finish.
“Our third podium this year, it was a great point race for us,” said Seafuse. “We did very well. We were third [in the standings coming into this race]. This should move us up to second with a little cushion. That's what we were looking at. We would've certainly loved to win; we already visited second and third on the podium a couple of times. We were looking for the top spot here but the points, this race, was definitely what we were looking at.”
Terry Borcheller won the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge Race at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. Borcheller, driver of the No.4 StableOne Racing Mustang FR500S, earned his second straight victory after holding off teammate and series points leader Andrew Caddell by .676 seconds.
Next weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be in action in Bristol, Tenn., while the Grand-Am Rolex Series will head to Sonoma, Calif.
Ford Racing Technology
Ford Racing Technology, based in Dearborn, Mich., 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 brand through initiatives such as Team Ford Racing. For more information regarding Ford Racing’s activities, please visit www.fordracing.com.