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One of the biggest storylines heading into the NASCAR season was the debut of the new Ford Dark Horse. The high sense of optimism has steadily turned to worry and concern.
With the season reaching the quarter-mark (race nine of 36) this weekend at Texas, Ford is still trying to find their way back to victory lane. The manufacturer has just two Cup victories since the Playoffs began last season.
Speed has not been a problem in qualifying. Ford drivers have earned five poles through eight races, sweeping the front row multiple times. Their race pace has been a different story. The Mustangs just haven’t been able to remain up front, whether it is a short track, intermediate, superspeedway, or road course.
Limited offseason testing has not helped, but Ford is not the only manufacturer trying to work out the kinks. Toyota is also using a new body this year, but they have been exceptional in every race so far.
After a resurgent season last year, RFK Racing has struggled to maintain that same level of performance. Chris Buescher had a breakout season in which he won three races and scored nine top-five finishes. He and Brad Keselowski led nearly 600 combined laps last season.
Former driver Kyle Petty did not hold back when he appeared on “Go PRN Live” and blamed Ford for RFK’s slippage.
“I think they thought this car was gonna be a step forward,” Petty said. “Remember they had that other body style, and you work and you get it and you understand it. Even if it’s bad, you understand where it’s at. And then all of a sudden, you get another body style, you think it’s gonna pick up where this one left off, but it didn’t. They went backwards with this, they feel internally. So now they’re having to build back again. You talk about where Brad was, they’re not in the same place. They’ve got a different car. They’ve had to go to a different place and start again.”
Getting a win would be a massive weight off the shoulders of Keselowski, and Ford. It has been more than 100 races since Keselowski won a race. His three-year drought could come to an end this weekend at Texas, but Ford has not been strong there in recent years.
Ford Struggles at Texas
Texas may seem like a place where Ford has had a lot of success, but outside of Ryan Blaney’s All-Star win, it has been a rough road for the blue oval. Ford’s last win there came in 2019 with Kevin Harvick. It has been a decade since the last Ford driver other than Harvick (Joey Logano) won a race at Texas.
On this day in NASCAR history – Joey Logano won the 2014 Duck Commander 500 at Texas
Logano is the only active Ford driver that has won at Texas. Blaney and Keselowski have started on pole and have ten combined top-five results, but that is the extent of their success. Ford’s winless streak may continue after this weekend, and it is anyone’s guess as to when/where it will end.
Short Track Aero Package
After lackluster races at Phoenix, Richmond, and Martinsville, NASCAR admitted they are still working to improve the short track aero package. The Dark Horse has a redesigned front end with less clearance than Toyota and Chevrolet. The sideforce advantage that Ford has is really only felt at intermediate tracks. A new short track package would go a long way in helping Ford be more competitive.
🛞 “We are working as hard as we can with Goodyear, and we need to work harder.”
🔧 #NASCAR‘s Elton Sawyer says the sanctioning body is working daily to improve the short track product.
Full Interview → t.co/WGRTG5gVtL
That could ultimately have negative consequences in other areas though. Should Toyota or Chevrolet encounter falloff from a new package, series officials would feel the same ripple effect. This is year three of the Next Gen car, with more testing and changes on the way. Things will never be completely even between all three manufacturers, and that’s okay.