Ford announced earlier in 2023 that it would be joining Red Bull Racing in Formula 1 starting in 2026. It was a move that had been rumored for a while but still brought up questions about Ford’s commitment to NASCAR. Since the debut of the NextGen car, Ford hasn’t been on the same level as Chevrolet and Toyota, with Stewart-Haas Racing regressing compared to the competition.
Ahead of Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Ford Performance Global Director Mark Rushbrook was asked a question by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass on whether the manufacturer remains committed to NASCAR. Rushbrook’s answer won’t surprise many people as the ultimate goal is to have sustained success across multiple sports.
“I’m not worried about our commitment to NASCAR,” Rushbrook said. “I think there’s always garage talk and people will see some things happening and include ultimate actions but we are, as we said when we joined Formula 1, it was not displacing any of our existing programs and that’s still the case.”
"Let's go race for a championship."
REPOST to congratulate Ryan @Blaney for WINNING at Martinsville and securing a #Championship4 spot! pic.twitter.com/PpKSkTFyoG
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 29, 2023
“We’ve got long-term contracts in place. We certainly are committed to NASCAR. It’s a fantastic place to race, great competition, as you could see in the Martinsville race yesterday. A place we feel we need to be and want to be.”
Ford didn’t win the Manufacturers’ Championship as that honor went to Chevrolet during the 2023 NASCAR season; however, the manufacturer does have Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney competing for a NASCAR Cup Series title at Phoenix. Ford continues to dismiss any questions about their commitment to NASCAR and that is great for the sport.
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