Martinsville Speedway, referred to by many as the “Paperclip” for it’s unique shape, was a wreck-fest to say the least during the running of the Subway 500. Stop seven of the chase for the Nextel Cup saw beaten and battered cars battle it out for track position. Through the mayhem, Mike Ford, crew chief for the No. 11 FedEx Freight Chevrolet team, played out a patient race strategy, waiting for the prime opportunity to strike. When the opportunity came, Ford lead his young driver, Denny Hamlin, through a calculated race strategy, gaining valuable track position when it counted, guiding Hamlin to a deserving sixth place finish. For his patient strategy and calculated race calls, Ford was awarded the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race.
Starting from 30th position for the race was going to prove difficult for the No. 11 team. Passing at Martinsville is always tough so track position for drivers and crew chiefs becomes an all-important factor. When opportunity knocked on lap 214 during the eighth caution of the day, Ford instructed his driver to stay on the track and not pit, moving Hamlin from 30th to sixth. Hamlin was able to maintain his position with the front-runners avoiding most problems during the 21 cautions throughout the day and finished the race in the top ten, moving up one position in the Nextel Cup standings.
At the conclusion of the race, Hamlin gave credit to Ford for race strategy. “Pit strategy and patience always wins at Martinsville, ” said Hamlin. “Mike had plenty of both. My car wouldn’t have been able to gain that kind of ground on the track under green, so that pit strategy really worked. ”
“Sometimes you don’t have a car that can keep up with the front running Hendrick cars, so we needed to out think the competition on pit road, ” said Ford of his team’s day in Martinsville. “Denny rode a smart race and showed a lot of patience all day long. Our stops were strong, and we had plenty of chances to dial the car in and we just kept getting better. ”
The WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Year panel of judges recognized Ford’s patient strategy in Martinsville. Robbie Reiser, WYPALL* Wipers spokesmen, agreed Ford’s day was deserving for him to be awarded the crew chief of the race. “A lot of different strategies were being played out to gain track position, ” said Reiser. “His team battled through a few problems and Mike was able to take advantage of the opportunities that came his way. It was a great day for them. ”
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