“We See the Fords Do It” – NASCAR Veteran Backs New Contenders Over Old Timers

Since the introduction of NASCAR’s Next Gen car in the 2022 season, original equipment manufacturers, Chevrolet and Toyota have been constantly topping the Cup Series standings. The 2023 season too was no different, as Chevrolet scored twelve race wins and Toyota grabbed seven. 

While the two OEMs enjoy the majority of race wins, Ford has been struggling to break out front owing to poor performance. But NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty believes the dynamics are changing as he has now backed the new contenders over the old-timers.

Kyle Petty backs Michigan-based OEM as a new contender

Struggling to dial in the right set-up for NASCAR’s Next Gen machines, Ford’s misery continued into the 2023 season as the OEM failed to match up to its competitors’ performance. Ford’s first victory came during the 5th race of the 2023 season when Team Penske’s Joey Logano drove down Atlanta’s Victory Lane. The OEM then once again fell into a dry spell, earning its second race win at Charlotte with Ryan Blaney grabbing the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 win. With just two wins in its bag, Ford’s run at Richmond Raceway proved to be pivotal, as the OEM saw seven of its vehicles rank in the top-11, with Chris Buescher collecting the race win.

As NASCAR gears up for an action-packed run at Michigan International Speedway, Kyle Petty has now ranked Ford over Chevrolet and Toyota. Speaking on the Motorsports on NBC podcast, Kyle Petty said, “The race track itself and the corners are so far and so sweeping, is really how you get in the corner, and get your car to rotate at a certain given point in the corner dictates your exit speed up off the corner. And that’s what it’s all about, putting yourself in a position to exit the corner and make the longest straightaways that you can at Michigan.” 

Petty further added, “And we’ve seen the Toyota’s doing in the past, we’ve seen Chevy’s do it, but more consistently, we see the Ford’s do it, and that just fascinates me about that place. And when you do that, then you look at a Joey Logano, you look at a Kevin Harvick. But I’m going to throw, I just think that the Fords are going to be strong. They were strong last week, we had seven out of the top 11 at Richmond on a short track, now we go to a two-mile track. Can they put seven out of 11, or 6 out of ten up there and do the same thing finish-wise at the home of the blue oval?”

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Despite Kyle Petty banking on Ford as a new contender, the Michigan-based OEM, on the other hand, has been struggling with NASCAR’s Next-Gen car package.

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Ford crippled by NASCAR’s 2023 Next Gen package

Rolling back on its decision to prevent manufacturers from tweaking their vehicles, NASCAR allowed OEMs to make adjustments to their car’s cooling system and front end for 2023. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Chevrolet and Toyota shot ahead while Ford lagged behind, struggling to dial in the perfect set-up.

While Chevy and Toyota gained optimal performance, Ford witnessed a decrease in downforce on the intermediate and short track. The Goodyear-sourced tires didn’t help Ford’s case either, further increasing its struggles. But with the 2023 season slowly inching toward completion, it seems Ford is now catching up with the competition by steadily perfecting its cars’ set-up.

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With Kyle Petty counting on Ford, can the OEM continue its winning streak at the Michigan International Speedway?