Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, VA — April 9, 2022
A fully-electric truck that is helping change the future of Ford Motor Company will be on track at Martinsville Speedway as the 2022 F-150 Lightning makes its debut as a pace vehicle for the NASCAR Cup Series on April 9.
Lightning received nearly 200,000 reservations since being unveiled last May and is part of a growing EV portfolio for Ford that includes the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit.
Ford’s Commitment to Electric Vehicles
“Ford is fully invested in electrification and the response to Lightning has been so overwhelming that it was an easy decision to bring it to a NASCAR event,” said Jeannee Kirkaldy, motorsports marketing manager, Ford Performance. “One thing we definitely know is that our fans love trucks and we’re confident that feeling will only grow when they see Lightning out on the track leading the field to green.”
”We can’t wait to show our Ford fans how capable the F-150 Lightning is. With 563 horsepower, 775 lb.-ft. of near-instantaneous torque and a 0-60 mph time in the mid-4-second range, I think it will turn some heads out on the track.” said Darren Palmer, vice president, of Ford electric vehicle programs.
This marks the second straight year an all-electric Ford vehicle will pace a NASCAR race after the Mustang Mach-E led the field at Talladega Superspeedway in April. Ford became the first OEM to use an electric vehicle to pace a NASCAR race way back in April 2012 when the all-electric Ford Focus paced the field at Richmond, Va.
Driver Comments
“I haven’t driven the Lightning yet, but if it’s anything like the Mustang Mach-E, it’s going to be a blast,” said NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney. “I hope it ends up being the only thing in front of me once the race starts.”
Joey Logano, driver of the No. Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang, was asked; What turns you on about this F-150 Lightning Truck? “I think the F-150 Lightning hits all of the markers that I want out of a truck. It’s got the styling. It has the use-ability and it’s really fast. I mean, you remember the Ford Lightnings from before and that was all about performance and speed. This thing is going 0-60 in under four seconds. None of them go that fast before, so this is the fastest Lightning there’s been.”
“You can put your kids in the back, and fill it up in the bed, and then you’ve got a frunk you can put even more stuff. For someone like me that has three screaming kids, this is the perfect vehicle. I think for someone that’s going to the construction site, it’s the perfect vehicle because you can plug your stuff right in the back. You can plug all your power tools in and whatever you need.”
“Someone at home, one of the big selling pieces is you can light up your home when the power goes out with this thing. You can plug it right in, so there are a lot of really cool, special pieces with this truck. One of my favorite pieces is the styling, personally. It looks like the F-150. Everyone loves Ford F-150 for so many reasons and I think one of the most important ones is that it looks cool. People love customizing them. People love just the way they look in different trim packages and this truck kind of continues that tradition of good looks.”
About the Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is part of the F-Series, America’s best-selling truck for 45 years in a row. F-Series recently reached a milestone when the 40 millionth unit rolled off the assembly line in January.
How to Get Your Hands on a Ford F-150 Lightning
Interested in the Ford F-150 Lightning? For information on the All-Electric trendsetter and any of the exciting products in the Ford Motor Company lineup, contact the Sales Professionals at your local Ford Dealer, Lasco Ford, 2525 Owen Road in Fenton, (888) 486-1708.
