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LOUDON, NH – APRIL 25: Brad Keselowski ( 6 RFK Racing Ford) during Goodyear tire testing for the Crayon 301 on April 25, 2023, at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire) AUTO: APR 25 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Goodyear Tire Test at NHMS EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon230425004
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LOUDON, NH – APRIL 25: Brad Keselowski ( 6 RFK Racing Ford) during Goodyear tire testing for the Crayon 301 on April 25, 2023, at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire) AUTO: APR 25 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Goodyear Tire Test at NHMS EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon230425004
Of all the three NASCAR manufacturers, it is normally established that Chevrolet is the strongest. However, in 2023, Ford gave everyone a run for their money, and it clearly showed with Ryan Blaney as the champion. However, it was more than just that, as one incredible statistic showed just how good the team was. In terms of superspeedway running, the Fords ruled the roost when it came to the average starting position.
Out of the top 10, only two were non-Fords. It was Kyle Larson’s Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin’s Toyota that sat in 4th and 10th, respectively. Surprisingly, Aric Almirola topped the average starting position with a 2.50. He was ahead of Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, respectively. The reason that this was surprising was because Stewart-Haas Racing had a nightmare NASCAR Cup campaign.
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How did the other NASCAR manufacturers perform compared to Ford?
Behind Kyle Larson was Chase Briscoe, representing Stewart-Haas Racing, completing the Top 5. Austin Cindric in the #2 Team Penske found himself as the meat in an SHR sandwich, with Kevin Harvick behind him. Breakout star NASCAR Cup team Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing duo Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher were 8th and 9th, respectively. Finally, Denny Hamlin was the lone Toyota representative in the Top 10.
Average starting position on Superspeedways in 2023 pic.twitter.com/PXF5zWvqkq
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) December 30, 2023
Hamlin led a gaggle of Toyotas that included Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr, and Tyler Reddick. Ryan Preece was the next Ford in 15th place, ahead of William Byron and Ty Gibbs. The next two Fords were Harrison Burton and Michael McDowell, ahead of Austin Dillon in the Chevrolet. What will please Almirola is that his average starting position was better than any other driver at any type of track in 2023.
With a new car set to debut in 2024, does Ford have the advantage?
It’s interesting to note that Ricky Stenhouse Jr had the second-worst starting position average for Chevy. Despite all that, he still managed to sneak a NASCAR Daytona 500 win, which is his third career win. Sadly, this is the last time that Almirola and Harvick will feature on such a list since both have officially retired from Cup racing. Almirola will be back in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, but that’s a different story.
WATCH THIS STORY: Aric Almirola and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Clash on the NASCAR Track
Speaking of 2024 though, Ford has a lot to look forward to for the new season. Along with Toyota, they will be debuting a brand new car spec, which promises to be much faster than its predecessor. With this in mind, is Ford the new favorite for the NASCAR Cup Series, and which of the teams will emerge the strongest?
