DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Ryan Preece 60 RFK Racing Kroger/Viva Towels Sun Ford in turn 3 during the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 15 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260215029500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Ryan Preece 60 RFK Racing Kroger/Viva Towels Sun Ford in turn 3 during the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 15 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260215029500
Feb 17, 2026, 4:46 PM CUT
Why Is Ford So Dominant on Superspeedways, Yet Has No Wins to Show for It?
On superspeedway tracks like Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta, Ford has the ultimate dominance with its Cup Series cars. Since 2023, Ford drivers have led the most laps in every superspeedway race. Despite their control, chaos continues to deny them the trophy. Let’s find out why that is the case.
The NASCAR 2026 season has begun with the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. It is indeed a fact that since the debut of the next-gen cars in 2023, Ford has a strong grip on superspeedways.
But all the laps and speed have only benefited Chevrolet and Toyota when it’s time to claim victory. In the 2025 Daytona 500, Ford drivers led 143 of 201 laps, with Austin Cindric and Cole Custer nearly bringing home the title.
That was until a massive wreck triggered by Cindric on the backstretch handed the win to Chevrolet's William Byron.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Josh Berry 21 Wood Brothers Racing MotorcraftQuick Lane Ford during practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 14, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 14 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260214012500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Josh Berry 21 Wood Brothers Racing MotorcraftQuick Lane Ford during practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 14, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 14 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260214012500
Just a week later, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Ambetter Health 400, Ford led 195 of the 266 laps, locking nine out of the top 10 qualifying spots.
Yet, when the final rolled around, Ford's Ryan Blaney finished in fourth. These setbacks ultimately cost Ford the season.
They finished third in manufacturer standings with 1,082 points across 36 races and just 7 wins. Meanwhile, Chevy took top spot with 1,158 points and 15 wins, and Toyota's 1,138 points and 14 wins were good for second place.
More of the same for Ford at the 2026 Daytona 500
Ford has excelled in qualifying and stages but has often messed up when it comes to clean finishes. This time it was similar, as a dramatic last lap saw 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick win the race in a Toyota.
However, this time the pile-up worked in Ford's favor as Joey Logano squeezed through the chaos to pick up the third-place finish.
However, once again, the Ford car didn't just finish behind a Toyota; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. claimed second place in his Chevrolet.
Once again, Ford was off to a hot start as well, with Zane Smith winning Stage 1. In fact, his 41-point performance ranked him second only to the winner, Tyler Reddick.
However, we'll have to wait and see if this close call finally translates into consistent wins this season.
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Written by
Kaamna Dwivedi
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi