Michigan: RFR spotlight

Roush Savors Michigan Success; Looks to build on Legacy

CONCORD, N.C. (June 10, 2010) -- In the almost 25 years of its existence, no track on the NASCAR circuit has been more successful for Roush Fenway Racing than Michigan International Speedway (MIS). The organization's 11 Cup wins at the two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located in the Irish Hills of Michigan are the most in the team's rich racing history. All in all, Roush Fenway has collected 20 wins, 72 top-fives, 117 top-10s and six poles, while leading almost 3,000 laps in combined NASCAR competition at MIS.

The success if fitting for team owner Jack Roush, who's Livonia based Roush Industries is located just down the road from the speedway.

"All of our wins at MIS have been special," said Roush. "It is in front of our home crowd. It's in front of our Roush Industries associates, Ford Motor Co., Chrysler and GM. It is good to race in front of the home crowd where all of our friends and people we like to have supporting us are paying attention.

"Detroit is still the motor city - despite rumors otherwise," added Roush.

"Michigan International Speedway has been one of the best race tracks and I certainly enjoy racing there because it is where I call home. I am really excited about going to MIS. I fly one of my World War II airplanes there at least twice a month. I have watched the reconstruction of the hospitality area on the inside of the track. It is going to be great to get out there and see what it looks like on the ground."

Roush's racing team needed just three years after its inception in 1988 to break into the win column at Michigan, with Mark Martin taking the checkered flag in the No. 6 Ford in August of 1990. Martin would be the first of nine different drivers to win for Roush Fenway in NASCAR action at MIS, and the first of five drivers to win in the Cup series for Roush Fenway at Michigan; three of which will drive for the organization this weekend (Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards). The victory would also be the first of 20 for Roush at the track he affectionately calls 'home.'

The wins for Roush at MIS break down to 11 in the Sprint Cup Series, four in the Nationwide Series and five in the trucks. In fact, Roush Fenway will not field a truck in this week's race at MIS, but has won the last three races in the series at MIS, with Colin Braun doing the honors in the No. 6 Ford last season for Roush's 20th NASCAR win at the track (the win was coincidentally the 50th for Roush Fenway overall in the truck series).

Roush would like nothing more than to see his team break back into the win column this weekend at MIS.

"I hope we will be able to break through at MIS and win again," said Roush. "I would love to get Ford's 12th win there (as a car owner). Hopefully we could win twice there this year.

-source: rfr