Speedway races are usually unpredictable but it seems like the Ford drivers know their role very well come Sunday. As per Chase Briscoe, the manufacturer puts more faith in all the drivers working together than Toyota and Chevrolet. Those outside the playoffs have to help out those in it. Perhaps it is this consistent teamwork that has allowed the American manufacturer to do the NASCAR series sweep last season and win the Cup Series twice in a row.
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It might not be smart of the Stewart-Haas Racing driver to say Ford racers have more teamwork than its competitors considering he is going to the Toyota-backed Joe Gibbs Racing team in 2024. However, there is certainly some truth to his statement. The #14 driver also revealed that Ford organizes events off the racetrack to make teams and drivers come together and build camaraderie. There have even been driver-only events to build respect among competitors.
“The Fords probably work together better than any other manufacturer and it’s because of that open line of communication,” the #14 driver said in a recent media interaction. “We go do team events and driver-only events where all of us are together and it’s a One Ford family. And during the playoffs, you see the Fords outside of the playoffs make sure they’re doing everything they can to make sure the Fords that are in the playoffs have the best opportunity.”
Maybe that’s why these cars don’t perform as well as the Toyotas and the Chevys during the regular season but spring into life every time the playoffs get underway. That’s what happened in the Cup Series last year and the year before that. Only time will tell if fans will see a high degree of teamwork at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Ford has a highly impressive record at Talladega
Another thing that’s going to help Ford in the YellaWood 500 is that Talladega is their strongest playoff track. No other driver has won here in this part of the season, the latest being the reigning champion Ryan Blaney last season. They’ve had 10 wins in this race over the years and unsurprisingly, Team Penske sits atop that list. Blaney and his teammate Joey Logano lead the stats with three wins each here.
The Toyotas and Chevys will look to break that dominance but that’s easier said than done. It was this race that sparked Blaney’s season into life last year and propelled him to the Cup Series championship. But with Logano also in the fray as a title contender, things are bound to get interesting.
The reigning champion would be looking to make it two YellaWood 500 wins in a row and his fourth win at this iconic track. However, he will have to face stiff competition from his teammates who are also desperate to win and get into the round of 8.
