Mustang Mach-E Pace Car Debuts at Talladega
Photo: Ford
The Mustang Mach-E made its NASCAR debut this weekend at the Geico 500 from Talladega Superspeedway. Serving as the pace car for the race on Sunday, the all-new Mustang Mach-E became the second Ford electric vehicle to set the tone at a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Setting a Strong Pace: 2021 Ford Bronco picks up Best of What’s New Award from Popular Science
And what a tone it managed to set! Sunday’s race saw Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski pilot the No. 2 Ford Mustang to the No. 1 spot in overtime. Keselowski pulled out the win — his first of the 2021 season — thanks to fellow Ford driver Matt DiBenedetto opening up the bottom lane in the last lap. With the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang out of the path, Keselowski cruised to victory.
The win at Talladega Superspeedway is Keselowski’s sixth, tying him with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second all-time at the world-famous track.
“I would have never dreamed I’d tie Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. here. That’s something. Those guys are really legends. I’m just really proud of my team,” said Keselowski.
Ford has proven quite dominant at Talladega, now winning 10 of the last 12 races — including seven straight from 2015-18.
Mustang Mach-E snows pro drivers
Though the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E pace car didn’t compete, it’s got impressive performance chops all its own. The new EV has also garnered rave reviews from folks who know Ford and driving like the back of their hand. DiBenedetto, whose last-minute move helped pave the way for Keselowski’s win, had the chance to drive a Mustang Mach-E. It’s safe to say he enjoyed the experience.
“When I drove the Mustang Mach-E it was instant power and way better than I thought or expected,” said DiBenedetto. “It was something that I 100 percent wanted to own for myself or my wife because when you hop in the car it’s nice and quiet, and the throttle response is so instant. It was a blast.”
DiBenedetto added that he believed the Mustang Mach-E would make a great pace car. And with Ford’s win at Talladega, you could extrapolate that it brough the Blue Oval a bit of luck.
Mustang Mach-E is a Hit: Drivers are buying the all-new Ford EV in droves
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.