There have been three Sprint Cup races so far in 2008. These races have shown Ford Motor Company’s potential for success and disaster in NASCAR’s top series. Ford drivers have the potential to win any race. They showed that at the end of 2007 when Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle combined to capture four victories in the final 13 races. However, the problem with the three top Ford drivers is that there are only three of them. Ford has found itself in a position of being out gunned every time the green flag drops.
By Richard Allen
Roush Fenway Racing maintains five Sprint Cup teams, a number that will soon have to be reduced to four. Of those five teams only the three of Kenseth, Edwards and Biffle appear to have the ability to contend on a weekly basis. David Ragan has never seemed comfortable in the Sprint Cup series. Jamie McMurray has shown flashes of brilliance, like his win last July in Daytona, but has been far from a model of consistency.
Once powerful Yates Racing, which has brought Ford a championship and numerous victories, is currently campaigning two cars, one of which is partially sponsored and the other is not sponsored at all. The organization’s last win was in 2005 at Talladega when Dale Jarrett was ruled to be in the lead after a late race caution fell.
Another former powerhouse for the blue oval brand, Wood Brothers Racing, has brought itself to the brink of extinction by holding on to its glorious past for too long. The company remained in its Stuart, Virginia shop long after all other competitive teams had based themselves in the Charlotte area. Also, the Woods have stuck to the single car approach rather than go the multi car route with virtually everyone else.
Stephen Leicht, who drives Robert Yates Racing’s entry in the NASCAR Busch Series, won his first series race last weekend and became the first non-Nextel Cup regular to win a series race this season. Ironically, the same scenario unfolded last season when then-Busch driver David Gilliland pulled off a surprise win at Kentucky and was followed by Paul Menard’s win at The Milwaukee Mile. Until Leicht’s victory, Cup drivers had won every series race since.
“It is starting to sink in. It sets in more when I am with my team," Leicht said. "I don’t think the smiles have left their faces since we left victory lane,” said Leicht, who will look for his second consecutive win in Saturday‘s A####mp;T 250 at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisc. (8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN2). “It is hard to describe how excited everyone is. I had to replay the end of the race a few times just to see the actual win and make sure that it was real.”
So who will it be? Marcos Ambrose? Bobby Hamilton Jr.,? Leicht again?
SPARTA, KY. – Stephen Leicht claimed his first career win in the Meijer 300 on Saturday after passing one of his best friends just 12 laps from the finish at the Kentucky Speedway.
“I can’t say enough tonight about the CitiFinancial team and our car tonight was awesome. We were in the right position at the right time and we were able to capitalize on it with 10 to go,” Leicht said. “Those were the longest 10 laps that I’ve run there at the end of the race. I never thought the race was going to end. Once you get the first one out of the way I think they’ll just come easier now. This team is definitely prepared for that.”
Leicht became the first Busch regular to win a Busch race since David Gilliland won the only Busch race by a Busch regular (or iregular) last year. There is something wrong with that folks. I don't care what JJ thinks.
Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 90 Citi Ford, raced his way to a hard-fought, top 10 finish Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Pit strategy and persistence by Leicht paid great dividends and he was the only NASCAR Busch Series regular to finish inside the top-10.
“It feels so good to get a top 10, especially with Citi onboard to support us this weekend,” said Leicht. “This entire Robert Yates Racing team has worked so hard for so long and I haven’t been in the position in the end to get the finishes that this team deserves, but I did tonight. It was a total team effort. Everything was on point tonight and I am so proud of my guys.”
“Cully made a great call for us to stay out at the end. We were still running 11th or 12th when that happened and that put us up to fourth, and then with the three cautions in a row it put us in the window that we could make it on fuel, so it worked out in our favor. The tires are so hard here that I don’t think there’s a ton of difference between new tires and old ones. Newer tires helped some, but not enough to come from the back, so we just took that chance and it paid off.”
The Citi Team will travel to Dover International Speedway next weekend for the Dover 200. Coverage begins June 2 live on ESPN2 and MRN at 2:30 EST.
In NASCAR, the name Robert Yates has always been synonymous with winning and horsepower, especially on superspeedways. Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 90 CitiFinancial Ford Fusion, is confident that this weekend will be no exception for Saturday’s running of the NASCAR Busch Series Aaron’s 312. Leicht will be making his 32nd NASCAR Busch Series start and second at Talladega.
"I know that Robert Yates horsepower is going to be a huge advantage for me this weekend. If I can just keep my head up and stay out of trouble we should get the CitiFinancial Ford a great finish,” Leicht said. The No. 90 CitiFinancial Ford will feature an in-car camera for this weekend’s Aaron’s 312. The 117-lap event will get the green flag at 3 p.m. EST live on ABC.
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