2020 NASCAR Preview: Roush Fenway Racing

Photo Credit: Speedway Media

Next up in The Sports Chief 2020 NASCAR Preview we will be covering Roush Fenway Racing. This team has one new face in the Cup Series as Chris Buescher takes over the #17 car. His teammate Ryan Newman, will be back in the #6 car. Roush Fenway is the main engine builder for the Ford camp, but have not performed as well as their other Ford counterparts (Stewart-Haas and Penske). 2020 will mark owner Jack Roush’s 33rdyear in the sport and with his partnership with Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry, Roush Fenway is built for success. In terms of sponsorship, the main partners including Fastenal, Oscar Mayer, Sunny D, Fifth-Third Bank and Ford Performance return. They did add a new primary sponsor in Castrol and they will sponsor Ryan Newman’s #6 machine. My 2019 predictions were off as I predicted Ryan Newman to get 1 top-10 (I should be ashamed) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr performing a tad better than he did…but I think I have more of a grasp of how this team will perform this season.

Photo Credit: MRN

Ryan Newman #6: The “Rocket-Man” seemed to drink from the fountain of youth last year and revitalized his NASCAR career. With 3 top-5’s and 14 top-10’s…Newman had his best season since 2015. What made it more impressive is the fact that the #6 car had not been relevant since Mark Martin drove it years ago. I am not sure if a change of scenery caused the positive outcome or if it was partly new crew chief Scott Graves, but the results were great. Ryan Newman made the NASCAR playoffs and finished 15th in the points standings. The experience factor he brings to Roush Fenway is immeasurable and his “driver-talent” at every track helps these guys figure out what is wrong with the car. One fun stat about the 2019 season was that Ryan’s average finish at restrictor plates (Daytona and Talladega) was 7.0. I think the results were real and I expect Newman to be in the thick of it this year…Give me 1 win 4 top 5’s and 10 top 10’s. 

Photo Credit: MRN

Chris Buescher #17: I really like this acquisition by Roush Fenway Racing. Adding Chris Buescher to their Cup program is just the fresh, new boost that they needed. Luke Lambert will be coming over from Richard Childress Racing to be the crew chief for the #17 as well. Buescher is the last champion for Roush Fenway (2015 Xfinity Series) and is known for exceeding expectations in the Cup Series. Chris did not get a top-5 last year, but did record 4 top-10’s. His best finish was a 6th place effort at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. In terms of his Cup Series career…he does have 1 win with Front Row Motorsports (Pocono 2016) and he has driven for lower-tier teams, but this will be his first chance in “relative” equipment. While I think that Buescher will outperform his 2019 season…I don’t see him getting a win. I also believe that Roush is in prime position to become a contender in the future, so I sense a win coming soon. I have Buescher with 0 wins, 2 top 5’s and 7 top-10’s.

References: Racing Reference, Jayski, MRN