NASCAR Corner: Ford's Mustang madness coming to Cup Series

There was plenty of NASCAR news to go around after Bristol and heading into Richmond this week, but here a few items that may have slipped off the stock-car radar:

Mustang madness

Ford announced it will replace the Fusion with the Mustang as the nameplate for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Mark Rushbrook, who is Ford’s top racing honcho, would not comment if Mustang will undergo a design change to its street car that could translate into stock-car advantage.

“I cannot comment on the future product,” Rushbrook said in a telephone interview. “What you always see in the Mustang lineup is there are so many different variances with styling differences in the same production year.”

The stock cars you see on the track use a design similar to passenger cars seen on the highway.

There is speculation that Ford could come up with a short run line of monster Mustangs and replicate that car on the track next season.

“Using the Mustang will give us the opportunity to select from that lineup on what is the right thing for racing on the track in terms of performance and relevance to our customers,” Rushbrook said.

Make room for the “Super ‘Stang.”

Junior, Kyle make up

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch crossed paths several times during the 2007 and '08 NASCAR Cup Series seasons and it produced a bitter feud between the two drivers.

When Busch wrecked Earnhardt fighting for the win at Richmond in 2008, Busch said he started receiving death threats and had an FBI agent assigned to him for the rest of the season.

The two drivers have recently reconciled and talked about their rivalry in the latest edition of the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast.

Two weeks after the incident, Busch won the Xfinity Series race at Charlotte and Earnhardt Nation was not happy.

“There were death threats to the house,” Busch said. “As soon as I did the Victory Lane stuff they corralled me and got me and took me into a cop car and took me out of the track in a cop car.”

The police explained the track had received a report of a “shooter” gunning for Busch.

As for the FBI agent, Busch said, “He came with us about everywhere,” but was waved off the following season when the situation cooled off.

Pocono selfies

As social media proliferates, NASCAR and member tracks are trying to use it to their advantage. Pocono Raceway has come up with a novel idea.

The track that looks like a triangle from the air has scheduled a selfie session with millennial driver Alex Bowman, who wheels the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

The 75-minute session, which has already been fully booked, will allow fans to have their photo taken with the 25-year-old driver.

In a release, the track said, “If additional spots become available for fans to attend, Pocono Raceway will send out updates via their social media channels and website.”

“Over the last several years, we have seen more and more fans stopping drivers for selfies instead of autographs,” Pocono president Ben May said. “We are excited to have the commitment from Alex, as we test this new at-track, fan-driven experience together.”

Preece presses

Ryan Preece continues to impress in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In seven starts since the 2017 season, he has scored two wins, including last week’s triumph at Bristol, and recorded six top-5 finishes all in Joe Gibbs Racing equipment.

Prior to hooking up with Gibbs, he had made 36 starts and had one top-5 finish as he tried to stretch his funding.

Last year he went all in on four races and shocked the world by winning at Iowa from the pole.

The difference? The quality of racing machinery.

“I’m 27 years old and I’m not getting any younger,” Preece said after winning Bristol. “I’m looking for opportunities.

“We did it last year at Iowa and now we did it here at Bristol. I hope I don’t get labeled as a short-track racer; I want to win on 1½-mile tracks soon. Nothing beats winning.”

STAT OF THE WEEK

Lap leaders

1. Denny Hamlin 1,653

2. Kyle Busch 1,057

3. Kevin Harvick 1,014

4. Brad Keselowski 773

5. Kurt Busch 689

6. Martin Truex Jr. 439

7. Clint Bowyer 348

8. Jimmie Johnson 337

9. Kasey Kahne 281

10. Joey Logano 190

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