Ford sets date for new engine switch

The Fords of Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports will switch to the FR9 engine beginning with the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 3 and race it for the remainder of the season – with the exception of Watkins Glen and Bristol Motor Speedway. The Roush and RPM teams will all race the engine at the Sprint All-Star Race. Ford originally submitted the engine for approval in the summer of 2008 and used it for the first time at the fall Talladega race. However, they rushed it before it was fully developed. The overall cost for the project – the first purpose-built racing engine for NASCAR – ran between $15-20 million. FoxSports