Interview
NASCAR Cup Atlanta
Keselowski: "Tremendous honor" to get Mustang its first Cup win
The Ford Mustang didn’t win in its first race out in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series but its victory Sunday at Atlanta could be far more telling.
Jim Utter
Published: Feb 25, 2019, 12:56 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Brad Keselowski’s victory on Sunday gave the famous pony car its first win in the Cup series in just its second official outing.
With the win coming on a track that is far more indicative of how much of the season’s races are run – including NASCAR’s new aero package – the performance may well bode well for Ford’s Cup teams this season.
“This is a great day for Ford and it’s a testament to what can be achieved when everybody works together toward one common goal,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.
“So many people were involved in the design and development of Mustang – from team engineers to design center staff at Ford to our internal team at Ford Performance – we all worked together on this project over the last 18 months and to see it end with a victory in just the car’s second race is beyond satisfying.”
Read Also:
Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford led just 33 of 325 laps, but several other Fords spent considerable time out front Sunday, including Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate, Joey Logano, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.
“This is a tremendous honor to be the one to give Mustang its first win in the Cup Series,” said Keselowski. “I know how hard everyone at Ford Motor Company and Ford Performance have worked to bring this car to the race track.
“To see it go to Victory Lane in the second race is just a testament to all the hard work and dedication from everyone involved. Switching to the Mustang was, to me, a big showing of Ford’s commitment to NASCAR long-term.
“It is always great to leave your mark on that legacy and be the first one to win under those terms.”
Since becoming Ford’s model of choice in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2011, the Mustang has won three driver’s championships and six owner’s titles.
The Mustang is also currently used in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge, the Supercars Series in Australia, NHRA Funny Car, NHRA sportsman racing, and FIA GT4 championships in England and Australia.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Martin Truex Jr. escapes penalty, blasts lapped traffic
Next article JTG Daugherty Racing impresses with strong Atlanta showing
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jim Utter
Erik Jones agrees to multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Erik Jones agrees to multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club
Goodyear's option tires at Richmond "were like Mario Kart with a star"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Goodyear's option tires at Richmond "were like Mario Kart with a star"
NASCAR: Austin Dillon move was "really close to crossing the line"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
NASCAR: Austin Dillon move was "really close to crossing the line"
Latest news
NASCAR explains why they penalized Zane Smith after latest clash with Carson Hocevar
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
14 h
NASCAR explains why they penalized Zane Smith after latest clash with Carson Hocevar
Porsche boss Laudenbach says he is "not happy" with how things were handled by IMSA in 2026
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 15 h
Porsche boss Laudenbach says he is "not happy" with how things were handled by IMSA in 2026
Five things to watch out for at the F1 United States GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
15 h
Five things to watch out for at the F1 United States GP
KTM sees MotoGP 2027 as a fresh start: “We never had the chance to build a new bike”
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP 16 h
KTM sees MotoGP 2027 as a fresh start: “We never had the chance to build a new bike”
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe