Much
like three years ago, when NASCAR allowed manufacturers to include more
brand-specific characteristics, Ford once again used the talents of its
designers to ensure the same eye-catching components on the 2017 Ford Fusion
production car are included on the new racing version. This latest iteration
marks the third major body change for Fusion, and represents another step
toward keeping “stock” a relative part of stock car racing.
The
result of the efforts of designers and engineers is an aggressive-looking new
race car capable of producing 750 horsepower at 9,000 rpm under the current
rules package.
“There’s
no mistaking we’re here to win races and championships,” said Dave Pericak,
global director, Ford Performance. “And we believe the new NASCAR Fusion will
be a powerful tool in the hands of our teams and drivers.
“Aerodynamics
are more important than ever at the speeds these cars run,” he added, “so we
used some of the best wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics technology
available to create this new Fusion. Fortunately, the Ford design team gave us
a great car with which to start.”
The
new NASCAR Fusion follows in the tire tracks of its successful predecessor by
not only mirroring the exterior of its production counterpart, but in bringing
a better interior to the driver.
Ford
NASCAR drivers will digest more information through a new digital dashboard
system that’s mandatory this season. Teams can switch between as many as 16
preset screens to display information, which they can access either in bar
graph or numbers format, or via the standard gauge and needle that has been
used for years.
This
latest technological advancement from NASCAR comes on the heels of several
significant changes, including the Gen 6 model that brought brand identity back
to the sport in 2013, the switch to electronic fuel injection in 2012 and the
move to an ethanol fuel blend in 2011.
Ford
has continued to refine its own technological program as well, opening up Ford
Performance Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina, in 2014, which
features a state-of-the-art full-motion simulator that assists both racing and
production car development.
“The
technical center and the full-motion simulator have been great tools for our
teams and engineers,” said Pericak. “As important as aerodynamics are in
NASCAR, it’s also imperative the computer simulations that assist the teams in
arriving at the track with a proper setup are best-in-class as well. We’ve
worked very hard the past year to refine our simulation tools to create a real
benefit to our race drivers, as well as the drivers of our new passenger
vehicles.”
The
new NASCAR Fusion makes its public debut Tuesday, when 2012 Sprint Cup champion
Brad Keselowski participates in a two-day Goodyear test session at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway.
The
Team Penske driver is coming off a season in which he qualified for The Chase
after winning at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, then finishing
seventh in the final standings. This is Keselowski’s fourth season driving with
Ford, his seventh for car owner Roger Penske. He has 17 career NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series wins, with eight of those coming behind the wheel of Fusion.
Fusion
is entering its 11th season of NASCAR competition. The car debuted as Ford's
flagship model in NASCAR in 2006 and has won 71 Sprint Cup races since,
including 21 the past two seasons.
Roush
Fenway Racing’s Greg Biffle drove Fusion to a milestone victory in the Quicken
Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 16, 2013, representing
Ford’s 1,000th win in NASCAR’s top three series combined.
Fusion
has won the Daytona 500 four times in the last seven years, including 2015 when
Team Penske’s Joey Logano won The Great American Race for the first time.
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