New Ford NASCAR engine a lemon
The Ford FR9 engine that blew at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday likely was the result of Roush Yates Engines taking too big a risk with the valve train, said engine builder/co-owner Doug Yates. Kasey Kahne led 110 laps but went down a cylinder and finally blew up with 65 laps remaining in the 301-lap race. It was the first blown FR9 engine during the major roll out of the engine in the last month.
“The good news is we were really competitive and looked like we had a car and an engine package that could win the race," Yates said Friday at Daytona International Speedway. “That’s really encouraging.
“I think we’re guilty of maybe trying a little bit hard with some things that we were pushing the limits. We feel like we understand the failure mode. … It’s not a widespread epidemic. It’s something that we understand and can control going forward."
Kahne was one of only two cars with the FR9 engine at New Hampshire – only two because the engine just does not have it. Ford should hire Chevy to design their engines.
“It was something we were trying for those two engines in that race," Yates said. “We are pressing hard to perform and sometimes when you press hard – I take responsibility for that leading the engine department – we probably got out of our box a little bit.
“We’re really wanting to do good for Ford and Kasey and everybody involved. You have to be very disciplined in racing, and I think we got outside of that."