Wood Brothers Racing has just set the stage for Harrison Burton’s rookie season. The team has unveiled the No. 21 Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane scheme that references history while moving forward with the updated rule changes.
The NASCAR Cup Series team provided the first glimpse of the No. 21 scheme on Monday, November 22. Wood Brothers Racing posted a short clip that showed the previous-generation Ford with five-lug wheels in iRacing. The clip then transitioned to the Next Gen Ford that features single-lug wheels and numbers at the front of the door.
Little bit of old mixed with a little bit of new. We couldn’t get crazy, but we did have to make a few tweaks.
Here’s our 2022 @MQL_Racing Mustang.
@HBurtonRacing you ready?
The scheme has similar elements to those on past stock cars, but there are also noticeable differences. For example, Wood Brothers Racing added a blue stripe that separates the red and white portions of the scheme. Additionally, there is a massive Ford Motorcraft logo in the area where the door number used to reside.
The Red & White Scheme Has Been a Key Part of WBR History
GettyRyan Blaney does burnouts in Las Vegas in 2017.
The unveiling of the red and white scheme continues an important tradition for the race team. Wood Brothers Racing has featured a multitude of drivers in the No. 21, all of whom have gotten behind the wheel of a red and white stock car.
Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Paul Menard, Ricky Rudd, and AJ Foyt are only a few examples of the drivers that have controlled the No. 21 Ford and showed off the gold door numbers. Burton will now continue this tradition while becoming the first driver to drive the Next Gen car for the organization with 99 wins.
Of course, these schemes have largely been different from each other due to some intricate details. Some had red only on the roof while others incorporated sharp points with the door number between them. The 2022 version has an enlarged red section that covers more of the front grille area.
Burton Took His First Next Gen Laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway
The on-track debut of @keselowski in the 6? The first laps for @HBurtonRacing in the 21? The thoughts of @joeylogano on the newest pony in the stable?
Yes please!
Watch this and tell us what you think.
#Ford #NextGen #NASCAR
@woodbrothers21 @Team_Penske @RFKracing
NASCAR fans will not see Burton compete in his first official race until the Busch Light Clash weekend at the LA Memorial Coliseum on February 5-6. However, they saw some test laps take place during the two-day Next Gen organizational test on November 17-18.
Burton shared the No. 21 with Team Penske’s Austin Cindric during the two-day session and came away with strong words about his experience. He said that it was “kind of nerve-wracking” because he had never driven anything like the Next Gen race car. He continued and explained that figuring out the car was fun.
“This Mustang is awesome-looking,” Burton told Ford Performance for a Twitter video. “This Next Gen Mustang is so cool. When you see it driving, it looks like the street cars. It’s awesome, and it’s cool to see them out on the race track.”
The No. 21 Ford did not have the Ford Motorcraft decals during the trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team opted to bring a basic, black car with gold numbers. Though Burton still wore his Ford Motorcraft-branded firesuit.
Once the season begins, Burton will head to the track with the Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane scheme as one of his primaries. He will strive to become the first driver since Blaney in 2017 to put the Wood Brothers Racing Ford in Victory Lane, starting with the Daytona 500 on February 20.
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Wood Brothers Racing Shows off Harrison Burton’s Motorcraft Scheme