Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 22 May 2018
Ford looks to snap 16-year Coca-Cola 600 drought

By JENNA FRYER of motorsports that Ford is
Associated Press involved in."
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — It's Ford Performance initially
been 16 years since Mark housed a simulator used
Martin won the Coca-Cola exclusively by its NASCAR
600, and a Ford driver has teams. IMSA and WEC pro-
not been to victory lane for grams began using it, and
the marquee event since. the simulator has gradu-
A Ford driver hasn't hoisted ated into use for both Ford
a Cup championship tro- Performance production
phy since 2004, either. cars and now mainstream
There have been some Ford products. To prepare
highlights during this past for Le Mans, the drivers from
decade of mediocrity, but Chip Ganassi Racing drove
coming up empty every thousands of miles of Le
year in the chase for NAS- Mans simulation so that the
CAR's biggest prize got very track would not be foreign
tiring to the Ford group. when the manufacturer
"Four years ago we got very made its ballyhooed return.
serious about, 'We don't just Ford's sole intent was to
want to be here, we want celebrate its 50th anniver-
to be here to win,'" said sary victory by winning the
Mark Rushbrook, global di- race, and with just one test
rector at Ford Motor Co. "To on the track before the 24-
do that, we knew we had Kevin Harvick celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Charlotte hour race, the Tech Center
to fix everything." Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 19, 2018. was critical in preparing the
Ford Performance was Associated Press program.
launched along with a Ford Performance began
technical center created Harvick is on a three-race Logano, winner at Tallade- off system, and it capped with seven engineers in
as the headquarters for en- winning streak. ga this year, noted Toyota consecutive champion- 2013 and now has 45. They
gineers to assist its teams That bodes well for Ford in was the dominating brand ships for the manufacturer. are busy preparing the
across multiple series. Its first Sunday night's Coca-Cola at this point last season. He believes the commit- Mustang for Cup introduc-
success came two years 600, a race Ford drivers SHR, in its first year with Ford, ment from the company tion next year, and also the
later when Ford returned won four consecutive years wasn't a strong title con- has always been the same, Mustang for the Supercars
to Le Mans on the 50th an- from 1999-2002. The blue tender and Penske drivers from Edsel Ford II on down, Series in Australia.
niversary of its 1966 victory oval has not triumphed in Logano and Brad Kesel- but the engineering sup- Rushbrook said Ford Perfor-
and won the GT class. NASCAR's longest race of owski felt overmatched in port has dramatically im- mance is reminded often
Gains have been made the year since. their aged Fusions. Ford will proved. about its Cup champion-
across all Ford's motorsports Harvick has five of the Ford move to the Mustang in an "The Ford Performance ship drought, and believes
programs, and the com- seven wins this season, and update in 2019, but tweaks group, I see it everywhere, the program has nine driv-
pany is currently the hot- Joey Logano and Clint to the rules package have with all their different forms ers capable of winning
test manufacturer in NAS- Bowyer have also been to helped Ford teams catch of motorsport collaborat- races and contending for
CAR. Ford has won seven victory lane. Ford drivers Toyota. "Last year, the Toy- ing together," Busch said. the title. Harvick is having
of the 12 Cup points races hold seven of the top 10 otas were on fire and re- "Whereas Ford Racing be- a season like Truex did last
this season, its 2,296 laps spots in the Cup standings. ally good," Logano said. "I fore ... felt like it was more year in which the cham-
led account for 59 percent Matt Kenseth, who drove think this year with some of focused on the NASCAR pionship appears to be
and Ford drivers have 17 a Ford to two Daytona 500 the rules changes and re- program and didn't use in- his and Ford's to lose, but
stage victories. wins and the 2003 cham- ally the way the rules have formation from IndyCar or the Ford program is strong
Kevin Harvick is the force pionship, returned to the been regulated, enforced, Cosworth in Formula One or across the board.
behind that success with manufacturer earlier this it has brought it to more of sports cars. What I see now "We certainly don't want to
five Cup victories, includ- month to help Roush Fen- an equal playing field." is information channels that be peaking too early," said
ing the last two. Add his way Racing catch Ford Kurt Busch was the last Ford are able to communicate Rushbrook, "but we are
Saturday night win in the front-runners Stewart-Haas driver to win a Cup title, in quickly and gather data definitely here to win races
$1 million All-Star race, and Racing and Team Penske. the 2004 launch of the play- from all different branches and championships."q
Icardi left out of Argentina's World Cup squad

By DEBORA REY gio Aguero, who has not closer to the opposition's champion City, scoring 31 ers to the World Cup, Sam-
Associated Press played since March and is goal line than to their own." times until he was injured. It paoli said he will take full re-
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina recovering from a knee op- Icardi was part of Sam- is still uncertain when he will sponsibility for his choices.
(AP) — Serie A co-top-scor- eration, was picked. paoli's preliminary list of be back in action. "We need to face the
er Mauro Icardi was left out Sampaoli said in a news 35 players announced on Also injured, defender Ga- World Cup without fear,"
of Argentina's World Cup conference his choices May 14. He scored 29 goals briel Mercado and mid- he said. "In this list there are
squad on Monday. were based on "players in Serie A, one of them on fielder Lucas Biglia were in players with a lot of skill. The
Icardi, also the Inter Mi- that can do many func- Sunday when Inter secured the squad. Mercado's injury ones that understand our
lan captain, was the most tions to give us different a spot in the Champions opened a door for Torino game better will be closer
notable absentee from characteristics." League for the first time left back Cristian Ansaldi, to being starters." Argen-
coach Jorge Sampaoli's "Those players in the final list since 2012. who can also play on the tina is grouped in Russia
23-man list. are closer to the idea we Aguero had a great season right. Asked about the risks with Iceland, Croatia and
Manchester City's Ser- are implementing. They are with English Premier League of taking recovering play- Nigeria.q