Clash at Daytona instant reaction: The Ford drivers will be fine for the Daytona 500
By Nick Tylwalk
It’s possible that Ford drivers will be at a disadvantage during the Cup Series season, but it’s pretty clear that won’t be the case for the Daytona 500.
Brad Keselowski was the most outspoken driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage last year when it came to the advantage the new Camry gave to Toyota drivers. You know he wasn’t crazy about heading to the Clash at Daytona and facing the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 too, particularly after Fords didn’t exactly tear it up during Daytona 500 qualifying.
Yet just a few hours later, there was Keselowski having a pretty easy drive to his first ever Clash at Daytona victory over the closing laps. Not only was he never seriously challenged for the lead, the only drivers who could have mounted one were his Team Penske teammates, Ryan Blaney (who learned the hard way when not to make a move for the lead) and Joey Logano, and defending Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch.
Related: All of those guys are Ford drivers.
Of course, solo speed and pack speed are two different things at restrictor plate tracks, and it’s a whole different ballgame at the other types of tracks that make up the vast majority of the NASCAR Cup Series slate. It’s way too early to know for sure if Fords will be at a disadvantage against … well, everyone else. Keselowski could very well be just as mad by the time the playoffs arrive.
But he shouldn’t have much to complain about next Sunday for NASCAR’s biggest race of the year. The Fords didn’t look like they were having any trouble maneuvering in traffic, or at least no more than the other manufacturers. Keselowski himself started dead last thanks to the random draw that set the grid for the Clash, and he ended up out in front when it mattered most.
Though he had a bit of a rough day in the Clash, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., winner of two of last season’s four restrictor plate races, also drives a Ford. He certainly hasn’t forgotten how to handle the draft over NASCAR’s short offseason, so he’ll be one to watch during the Daytona 500. If he looks like his normal superspeedway self, that’s a good sign for the whole Ford camp.
Next: More highlights from the Clash at Daytona
The guess here is that he will. Team Penske looks like a force to be reckoned with, and Stewart-Haas Racing should factor into the battle for the win as well. If griping about the Ford Fusion becomes a thing again, it shouldn’t be until after the Daytona 500, and that’s a very good thing for Ford fans and race fans in general.