Final NASCAR start for Marcos Ambrose: Marcos Ambrose will make his final start in the #9 Stanley Ford this weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway for Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM). Ambrose will depart the organization as one of its most successful drivers. Since joining RPM in 2011, he has put the #9 Sprint Cup team in Victory Lane twice while also earning three poles. In addition, Ambrose has 33 Top-10 and 11 Top-Five finishes. Ambrose will be most remembered as one of the best road course racers in the history of NASCAR. "It's been about nine years since my family and I came over the 'water' to try out this experiment of NASCAR. And, it's been great. We've won races, had good runs and met a lot of wonderful people. But, it's time to take my family back across the 'pond' and go home. I made that decision this year, and once we did that, we started working towards that plan. That's what this year has been like, and everyone has been very supportive. We are finishing our NASCAR season, and we just want to spoil the guys in 'The Chase'. I have had a good time here in NASCAR. It's the most competitive form of racing in the world, and there is nothing like it. It's a grind, and you need to be focused all the time on the task at hand. It will be nice to get some more weekends off and get back to V8. I will miss NASCAR, and I will watch it too. I will watch the night races in the morning in Australia with breakfast, and that will be fun. I'm looking forward to that. I have good runs, memorable races that I'll carry with me for sure. It was great winning for 'The King' and racing for wins at Watkins Glen. These are memories that I'll have for a lifetime. I would have liked to win on an oval, sure, but I feel like I've accomplished a lot too. Now, it's just time to go back home with my family."(RPM)(11-12-2014)
50-Year Limited Edition 2015 Ford Mustang to Pace Cup, Nationwide Races at Homestead: In a fitting tribute to the continuing golden anniversary celebration of the iconic pony car, a 50-Year Limited Edition 2015 Ford Mustang will pace the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 14-16. The Wimbledon White pace car, one of just 1,964 50-Year Limited Edition Mustangs built, will lead the field to the green flag for the Ford EcoBoost 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Nov. 16 and the Ford EcoBoost 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Nov. 15.
Mark Fields, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company, will drive the pace car equipped with 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 engine, leading the Sprint Cup field to green for the final time this season. John Felice, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service will pace the starting field for the Nationwide race. A Race Red 2015 Mustang GT fastback will serve as the splitter pace car for the two races.
Built in Flat Rock, Mich., Mustang is all-new from the ground up. This sixth-generation, rear-wheel-drive car has the long hood and short rear deck lid proportions of its most iconic predecessors, as well as that low, wide stance, but its design is very much 21st century, with state-of-the-art engineering and technology. "Ford is very proud to have a 50-Year Limited Edition 2015 Mustang pace the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide races during Ford Championship Weekend," said Chantel Lenard, director, U.S. Marketing, Ford Motor Company. "To have Mustang -- a brand born of racing -- in this special anniversary year, leading some of the world's best drivers to the championship in two of NASCAR's premier series, is special. We know our fans will enjoy seeing it out on the track."
Among the many new features on the 2015 Mustang GT is an independent rear suspension engineered specifically for this new platform and car. It also features an all-new state-of-the-art front suspension. Mustang GT's 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 engine generates 435 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. Two other engines -- a 3.7-liter V6 and 2.3-liter EcoBoost® -- will also be available when the car hits showrooms later this year, part of the Mustang stable of engines which all boast over 300 horsepower.
A pair of all-new 2015 Ford F-150 pickup trucks will pace the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Nov. 15.(
Ford Racing), see images of the pace car on the
2014 Pace Car page.(11-12-2014)