Ford Racing head to Bristol Motor Speedway confident of a strong finish at the manufacturer’s most successful track.
Bristol has been the location of 33 of Ford’s 613 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories, more than any active circuit on the current schedule. The most successful driver for Ford at Bristol is Rusty Wallace, visiting Victory Lane on no less than four occasions (1994, ’96, ’99 & 2000).
More recently, reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski has seen success at the World’s Fastest Half Mile, scoring back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2012.
“Bristol is one of those race tracks that defines what characteristics I feel a driver should have to be successful.” said Keselowski. “To win there makes me feel like more of a racing man. That place is very special. The way it challenges you both physically and mentally, it never gives you a break. It always demands the most out of you of any track I have been to both physically and mentally. The plate tracks are pretty demanding mentally but not so much physically. There are other tracks more demanding physically but not so much mentally. Bristol is both. Let me put it this way, a win at Bristol is a win that you will never forget.”
Crew Chief Paul Wolfe has been in the ear of Keselowski for both of his Bristol wins, but believes there is no secret to being successful at the .53-mile circuit.
“I don’t know if there is anything special that we have found. It is a track that Brad has always run well at and he understands what he wants his car to do and what he wants it to feel like in practice to race well. One works with the other. It makes it easier for us to tune on the car because he can help give good direction on what he needs to feel. Overall, we have a good baseline package and we just have to implement some of the changes and things we have done different with the new car this year to that setup and I think we can run strong there once again.”
