Emily Mooney
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It isn’t over until it’s over
September 30, 2018
#TheROVAL has finally come
This race has been the most anticipated and talked about race this entire season. In the offseason of 2017, heading into the 2018 season, NASCAR decided it would be changing up the schedule for the Monster Energy Cup NASCAR Series, specifically during the playoffs.
They announced that the Charlotte Motor Speedway race would be changing, and instead of it being a typical oval track, they would be utilizing the road course that runs directly through the infield. It also would be the last race of round 1, meaning four drivers would be eliminated after the checkers. It had fans, media, teams, drivers, and people who weren’t even interested in NASCAR talking about how much it was going to change the dynamic of the playoffs. This weekend proved all of that to be correct.
In the season, multiple drivers did two different tests on the Roval course. Each time we saw the same outcome—the chicane would do its damage and cause all the drivers to spin out while driving through it. It appears all of the drivers fell victim to this, and it would reoccur in the race where it counts the most.
The weekend started off as everyone anticipated—we had drivers wreck in practice, with Kurt Busch winning the pole, leading us to the green flag on Sunday’s race.
Kyle Larson was the winner of Stage 1, and Ryan Blaney had been running in the top 15 for most of the race so far. Stage 2 comes to an end and the winner of stage 2 was none other than the 12 driver himself. This stage win was crucial for YRB (young Ryan Blaney), seeing as he was running 12th in the playoffs standings coming into Sunday’s race and needed to do well in order to make it to the next round.
In stage 3, the race really began to get dicey. You could feel the urgency of those drivers trying to make sure they made it to the next round of playoffs. Blaney was still running in the top 10, when on lap 102 of 109, Brad Keselowski’s car locked up and he ended up causing a multi-car crash—a crash that Blaney had slight damage from since he caught the tail end of the wreck. This multi-car wreck, that also took out playoff contenders Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson, also caused a red-flag.
Once the race got back up and running, Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr were battling for the lead on the final lap, with YRB running in 3rd. Truex and Johnson got together due to Johnson spinning, and Blaney unexpectedly won the inaugural Roval race! This win meant that Blaney was heading to round 2 of the playoffs, finishing in 3rd place in the standings for that round.
As Blaney climbed from his car in Victory Lane, he was interviewed by NASCAR and spoke on the win saying, “Tough weekend, just kind of avoided some stuff, you hate to see two guys get into it there and take out two of the best cars all day. But that’s racing sometimes. “We were just at the right spot at the right time. It’s cool to be in Victory Lane and move on to the next round.”
This week we head into Dover, where only 12 drivers are now competing for the championship, and Blaney sits on the bubble again, keeping all of #teamblaney on their toes. Is another victory to come, guaranteeing his spot in the 3rd round of the playoffs? Be sure to tune in to the race at the Monster Mile on Sunday and follow Ladies of Speed on social media for live updates from the track.
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
September 30, 2018
#TheROVAL has finally come
This race has been the most anticipated and talked about race this entire season. In the offseason of 2017, heading into the 2018 season, NASCAR decided it would be changing up the schedule for the Monster Energy Cup NASCAR Series, specifically during the playoffs.
They announced that the Charlotte Motor Speedway race would be changing, and instead of it being a typical oval track, they would be utilizing the road course that runs directly through the infield. It also would be the last race of round 1, meaning four drivers would be eliminated after the checkers. It had fans, media, teams, drivers, and people who weren’t even interested in NASCAR talking about how much it was going to change the dynamic of the playoffs. This weekend proved all of that to be correct.
In the season, multiple drivers did two different tests on the Roval course. Each time we saw the same outcome—the chicane would do its damage and cause all the drivers to spin out while driving through it. It appears all of the drivers fell victim to this, and it would reoccur in the race where it counts the most.
The weekend started off as everyone anticipated—we had drivers wreck in practice, with Kurt Busch winning the pole, leading us to the green flag on Sunday’s race.
Kyle Larson was the winner of Stage 1, and Ryan Blaney had been running in the top 15 for most of the race so far. Stage 2 comes to an end and the winner of stage 2 was none other than the 12 driver himself. This stage win was crucial for YRB (young Ryan Blaney), seeing as he was running 12th in the playoffs standings coming into Sunday’s race and needed to do well in order to make it to the next round.
In stage 3, the race really began to get dicey. You could feel the urgency of those drivers trying to make sure they made it to the next round of playoffs. Blaney was still running in the top 10, when on lap 102 of 109, Brad Keselowski’s car locked up and he ended up causing a multi-car crash—a crash that Blaney had slight damage from since he caught the tail end of the wreck. This multi-car wreck, that also took out playoff contenders Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson, also caused a red-flag.
Once the race got back up and running, Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr were battling for the lead on the final lap, with YRB running in 3rd. Truex and Johnson got together due to Johnson spinning, and Blaney unexpectedly won the inaugural Roval race! This win meant that Blaney was heading to round 2 of the playoffs, finishing in 3rd place in the standings for that round.
As Blaney climbed from his car in Victory Lane, he was interviewed by NASCAR and spoke on the win saying, “Tough weekend, just kind of avoided some stuff, you hate to see two guys get into it there and take out two of the best cars all day. But that’s racing sometimes. “We were just at the right spot at the right time. It’s cool to be in Victory Lane and move on to the next round.”
This week we head into Dover, where only 12 drivers are now competing for the championship, and Blaney sits on the bubble again, keeping all of #teamblaney on their toes. Is another victory to come, guaranteeing his spot in the 3rd round of the playoffs? Be sure to tune in to the race at the Monster Mile on Sunday and follow Ladies of Speed on social media for live updates from the track.
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
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Richmond Raceway Preview
September 21, 2018
“You know this first round is completely new, we’ve never had this format before—a short track with Richmond and then a road course no one’s ever raced on before.” – Ryan Blaney
We have two more races in the first round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs where 16 drivers are battling it out each week to make it to the next round and things are starting to heat up.
This week, we head to Richmond Raceway in Virginia which has not been one of Ryan Blaney’s most successful tracks on the MENCS circuit. While driving for Wood Brothers Racing, Blaney struggled heavily, never finishing in the top 15 in his four races at Richmond with the 21 team. In the 2018 spring race at Richmond, things were going well for the 12 driver, with all of #teamblaney hopeful that the young gun would finally get a decent finish at the track that always seemed to baffle him. Unfortunately at around lap 350, Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the first caution of the April race, and Blaney spun out in turn 4. This caused him to have a finish of 22nd after running inside the top 15 all evening. It was a frustrating finish, but Blaney moved past it and continued to keep digging throughout the regular season.
Heading into Richmond this week to race under the lights during the playoffs, Blaney sits in the 7th position in the standings. Four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs in 2 weeks after the Charlotte event. At a track that has been so troublesome to Blaney, he is hopeful and excited to be getting another shot at it this weekend. In an interview with Frontstretch, Blaney commented on his past races at Richmond and how he feels about this weekend based on testing at the track a few weeks ago. “Richmond is a place that we’ve struggled at in the past. We had a two-day test there a couple weeks ago that I thought went really well, and hopefully learned some stuff for there so we can have a consistent run.”
Richmond Raceway is a ¾ mile track with very little banking on the straightaways but 14 degrees of banking in the turns. With it being such a short track, we’re going to see speed and a lot of loose cars, which can make the racing really difficult for the drivers and entertaining for the fans. Coming off an incredibly special weekend for all of Team Penske where the Captain, Roger Penske, got his 500th win, the excitement is elevated and the drivers are focused to keep digging. Blaney is focused on the championship with a good head on his shoulders and a refusal to settle. Be sure to check out the race this weekend on NBCSN at 7:30PM EST and tune in to Ladies of Speed Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates during the race!
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
September 21, 2018
“You know this first round is completely new, we’ve never had this format before—a short track with Richmond and then a road course no one’s ever raced on before.” – Ryan Blaney
We have two more races in the first round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs where 16 drivers are battling it out each week to make it to the next round and things are starting to heat up.
This week, we head to Richmond Raceway in Virginia which has not been one of Ryan Blaney’s most successful tracks on the MENCS circuit. While driving for Wood Brothers Racing, Blaney struggled heavily, never finishing in the top 15 in his four races at Richmond with the 21 team. In the 2018 spring race at Richmond, things were going well for the 12 driver, with all of #teamblaney hopeful that the young gun would finally get a decent finish at the track that always seemed to baffle him. Unfortunately at around lap 350, Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the first caution of the April race, and Blaney spun out in turn 4. This caused him to have a finish of 22nd after running inside the top 15 all evening. It was a frustrating finish, but Blaney moved past it and continued to keep digging throughout the regular season.
Heading into Richmond this week to race under the lights during the playoffs, Blaney sits in the 7th position in the standings. Four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs in 2 weeks after the Charlotte event. At a track that has been so troublesome to Blaney, he is hopeful and excited to be getting another shot at it this weekend. In an interview with Frontstretch, Blaney commented on his past races at Richmond and how he feels about this weekend based on testing at the track a few weeks ago. “Richmond is a place that we’ve struggled at in the past. We had a two-day test there a couple weeks ago that I thought went really well, and hopefully learned some stuff for there so we can have a consistent run.”
Richmond Raceway is a ¾ mile track with very little banking on the straightaways but 14 degrees of banking in the turns. With it being such a short track, we’re going to see speed and a lot of loose cars, which can make the racing really difficult for the drivers and entertaining for the fans. Coming off an incredibly special weekend for all of Team Penske where the Captain, Roger Penske, got his 500th win, the excitement is elevated and the drivers are focused to keep digging. Blaney is focused on the championship with a good head on his shoulders and a refusal to settle. Be sure to check out the race this weekend on NBCSN at 7:30PM EST and tune in to Ladies of Speed Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates during the race!
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
Old guard x New school.#Chasing8 | #Blaney | #Federated400 | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/er9PAGAXrn
— Richmond Raceway (@RichmondRaceway) September 21, 2018
Season Recap
August 31st, 2018
“It’s the playoffs. Anything can happen. A team gets a little confident and gets a win, and anytime you get that going, you can go a long way.”
After a successful 6th place best-ever Cup series finish at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 25th, and a Stage 1 win, Young Gun Ryan Blaney officially clinched a spot in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
To recap how points are given at the beginning of the playoffs:
This weekend, we head into Darlington after a Cup series off-week last week. However, Blaney did not have an off-week seeing as he was a spotter for Austin Cindric at the Road America race for the Xfinity series last weekend.
This weekend will be special for Blaney in more ways than one. He does not have to worry about competing to clinch his spot for the playoffs even with having 2 more races left in the regular season. Blaney will also be in a special ride this weekend. Darlington always has throwback schemes for their race, and it just so happens that Young Blaney’s paint scheme will be the same one his father drove back in his NASCAR Cup days. It will be the scheme that Dave Blaney drove in the number 77 for Jasper Motorsports.
Blaney has a lot to be excited for heading into this weekend—a great car and an excellent starting position for the playoffs, before the playoffs actually begin. Here’s to hoping he can bring that average Darlington finish of 25th up this weekend with a win!
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
August 31st, 2018
“It’s the playoffs. Anything can happen. A team gets a little confident and gets a win, and anytime you get that going, you can go a long way.”
After a successful 6th place best-ever Cup series finish at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 25th, and a Stage 1 win, Young Gun Ryan Blaney officially clinched a spot in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
To recap how points are given at the beginning of the playoffs:
- All point totals will be reset to 2,000 for the 16 drivers eligible for the playoffs.
- 5 playoff points are given to a driver for each regular season race in which they won.
- Drivers earn 1 playoff point for each stage win.
- Starting with 15 points for the Regular Season Champion, the top 10 finishers in the regular season standings will earn points. The 10th place driver will earn one point to add to his total.
This weekend, we head into Darlington after a Cup series off-week last week. However, Blaney did not have an off-week seeing as he was a spotter for Austin Cindric at the Road America race for the Xfinity series last weekend.
This weekend will be special for Blaney in more ways than one. He does not have to worry about competing to clinch his spot for the playoffs even with having 2 more races left in the regular season. Blaney will also be in a special ride this weekend. Darlington always has throwback schemes for their race, and it just so happens that Young Blaney’s paint scheme will be the same one his father drove back in his NASCAR Cup days. It will be the scheme that Dave Blaney drove in the number 77 for Jasper Motorsports.
Blaney has a lot to be excited for heading into this weekend—a great car and an excellent starting position for the playoffs, before the playoffs actually begin. Here’s to hoping he can bring that average Darlington finish of 25th up this weekend with a win!
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
Hey @Blaney fans, Ryan signed a bunch of #ThrowbackWeekend die-cast, hats, t-shirts and various other items at @Team_Penske @TracksideShop trailer. Stop by before they are gone! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/wbX9xsMoU4
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) September 1, 2018
It's Tricky - The Tricky Triangle
June 3, 2018
It has been a year since Ryan Blaney’s first Cup win. The one year anniversary served as a reminder for all #teamblaney fans for how far YRB has come in the sport since first moving up into the Cup series with Wood Brothers Racing. This weekend at Pocono could have resulted in another win, but this time with Team Penske and the 12 team.
Blaney has had a rollercoaster of a season so far---there have been many highs, and quite a few lows. The latest low came to the 12 team at Charlotte the weekend before when Blaney’s car blew up and ended a weekend for them where they could have won the Coca-Cola 600. The 12 car made it through halfway of the race and once it blew up, their focuses shifted to the following weekend which would be Pocono Raceway—otherwise known as “Tricky Triangle”.
The anticipation leading up to the weekend was evident. The team knew that YRB has a knack for Pocono. He has done well here in all 3 series—NCWTS, NXS, and now the MENCS. Practice was going well for Blaney and the 12 team---they had fast speeds and were running exactly where they wanted to be heading into qualifying. Kevin Harvick was the leader in round 1, with Blaney finishing out the Top 5.
Heading into round 2, Harvick was still leading, with Blaney in 3rd. The third round of qualifying proved to be Blaney’s time, which is where he surpassed Harvick, with an average speed of 176.897 mph—just edging Harvick’s speed of 176.807 mph. Blaney taking over 1st place in round 3 gave him the pole for the Pocono 400 on Sunday.
Sunday’s race started off a raceday full of hope and anticipation. Blaney managed to lead 11 laps from the pole in Stage 1, but sadly lost the lead to Harvick, and faded throughout the stage and finished stage 1 in 7th place. Not a bad place to be, but the 78 car of Martin Truex Jr, the 4 car of Harvick, and the 18 car of Kyle Busch were scary fast. Blaney’s car was no match for their racecars.
After making changes to the car during the caution after Stage 1, Blaney’s car stayed about the same in most of stage 2 with him finishing off the stage in 8th. Heading into stage 3, the 4, 78, and 18 were just unbeatable. Blaney and the 12 team managed to gain a few spots back and finished the race in 6th place.
It was definitely a better finish than the week before at Charlotte, but there was still a slight bit of disappointment. After Charlotte, the 12 team dropped to 11th in the MENCS standings, but the 6th place at Pocono brought them back up to 10th in the standings.
This weekend we are heading into Michigan---where rain has been the normal for the past few June races. Hopefully, the rain holds off and doesn’t change the track too much---racing is much better when there is rubber on the track.
Be sure to follow Ladies of Speed on Twitter at @losdotorg where we will keep you up to date during the weekend races.
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
June 3, 2018
It has been a year since Ryan Blaney’s first Cup win. The one year anniversary served as a reminder for all #teamblaney fans for how far YRB has come in the sport since first moving up into the Cup series with Wood Brothers Racing. This weekend at Pocono could have resulted in another win, but this time with Team Penske and the 12 team.
Blaney has had a rollercoaster of a season so far---there have been many highs, and quite a few lows. The latest low came to the 12 team at Charlotte the weekend before when Blaney’s car blew up and ended a weekend for them where they could have won the Coca-Cola 600. The 12 car made it through halfway of the race and once it blew up, their focuses shifted to the following weekend which would be Pocono Raceway—otherwise known as “Tricky Triangle”.
The anticipation leading up to the weekend was evident. The team knew that YRB has a knack for Pocono. He has done well here in all 3 series—NCWTS, NXS, and now the MENCS. Practice was going well for Blaney and the 12 team---they had fast speeds and were running exactly where they wanted to be heading into qualifying. Kevin Harvick was the leader in round 1, with Blaney finishing out the Top 5.
Heading into round 2, Harvick was still leading, with Blaney in 3rd. The third round of qualifying proved to be Blaney’s time, which is where he surpassed Harvick, with an average speed of 176.897 mph—just edging Harvick’s speed of 176.807 mph. Blaney taking over 1st place in round 3 gave him the pole for the Pocono 400 on Sunday.
Sunday’s race started off a raceday full of hope and anticipation. Blaney managed to lead 11 laps from the pole in Stage 1, but sadly lost the lead to Harvick, and faded throughout the stage and finished stage 1 in 7th place. Not a bad place to be, but the 78 car of Martin Truex Jr, the 4 car of Harvick, and the 18 car of Kyle Busch were scary fast. Blaney’s car was no match for their racecars.
After making changes to the car during the caution after Stage 1, Blaney’s car stayed about the same in most of stage 2 with him finishing off the stage in 8th. Heading into stage 3, the 4, 78, and 18 were just unbeatable. Blaney and the 12 team managed to gain a few spots back and finished the race in 6th place.
It was definitely a better finish than the week before at Charlotte, but there was still a slight bit of disappointment. After Charlotte, the 12 team dropped to 11th in the MENCS standings, but the 6th place at Pocono brought them back up to 10th in the standings.
This weekend we are heading into Michigan---where rain has been the normal for the past few June races. Hopefully, the rain holds off and doesn’t change the track too much---racing is much better when there is rubber on the track.
Be sure to follow Ladies of Speed on Twitter at @losdotorg where we will keep you up to date during the weekend races.
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
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Sin City and Phoenix
March 4 & 11, 2018
Las Vegas Motor Speedway had a lot of successes for drivers and teams at Team Penske. With Penske fielding three cars full time as a first this season, there are bound to be some history making races, which was exactly what Ryan Blaney could bring to the table at Las Vegas.
Blaney started out strong in Vegas earning his first career Vegas pole and led the field to the green flag. Blaney ran up front for most of the day, allowing him his first top-five driving with Team Penske. The 12 team finished in fifth, Brad Keselowski in sixth, and Joey Logano in seventh, allowing Team Penske to make history. This was the first time Team Penske finished with three cars in the top 10. Blaney’s 5th place finish was his third consecutive top 10 at LVMS.
After LVMS, we headed into Phoenix, which is also known as ISM Raceway. Blaney did not have as great of a run as he did at LVMS. He ran in the top 20 for the race, but struggled with the handling of the car. By the end of the race, Blaney got a 16th place finish for Team Penske, but unfortunately had some issues with post-race inspection. The 12 car was found to have one lug nut not secured. This error also plagued the 22 team of Team Penske which finished 19th.
This weekend, we are at Auto Club Speedway in California. It appears NASCAR Goes West has been fun and productive for young Ryan Blaney. He’s been doing a lot of sight-seeing which includes the Grand Canyon and most recently the Hollywood sign. Now he is back at the track, ready to tackle Fontana and see what this weekend brings for the 12 team.
Last year, he finished 9th in the 21 car for Wood Brothers at Auto Club, so hopefully another run like that will happen this week, but in the Team Penske car. He’s been running in the top 20 for practice so far, but hoping they will get the car where it needs to be so we can see the 12 car in Victory Lane this weekend, celebrating the California way!
#teamblaney
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
March 4 & 11, 2018
Las Vegas Motor Speedway had a lot of successes for drivers and teams at Team Penske. With Penske fielding three cars full time as a first this season, there are bound to be some history making races, which was exactly what Ryan Blaney could bring to the table at Las Vegas.
Blaney started out strong in Vegas earning his first career Vegas pole and led the field to the green flag. Blaney ran up front for most of the day, allowing him his first top-five driving with Team Penske. The 12 team finished in fifth, Brad Keselowski in sixth, and Joey Logano in seventh, allowing Team Penske to make history. This was the first time Team Penske finished with three cars in the top 10. Blaney’s 5th place finish was his third consecutive top 10 at LVMS.
After LVMS, we headed into Phoenix, which is also known as ISM Raceway. Blaney did not have as great of a run as he did at LVMS. He ran in the top 20 for the race, but struggled with the handling of the car. By the end of the race, Blaney got a 16th place finish for Team Penske, but unfortunately had some issues with post-race inspection. The 12 car was found to have one lug nut not secured. This error also plagued the 22 team of Team Penske which finished 19th.
This weekend, we are at Auto Club Speedway in California. It appears NASCAR Goes West has been fun and productive for young Ryan Blaney. He’s been doing a lot of sight-seeing which includes the Grand Canyon and most recently the Hollywood sign. Now he is back at the track, ready to tackle Fontana and see what this weekend brings for the 12 team.
Last year, he finished 9th in the 21 car for Wood Brothers at Auto Club, so hopefully another run like that will happen this week, but in the Team Penske car. He’s been running in the top 20 for practice so far, but hoping they will get the car where it needs to be so we can see the 12 car in Victory Lane this weekend, celebrating the California way!
#teamblaney
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
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Making a difference
February 18th, 2018
Ryan Blaney had a successful 2018 Speedweeks to say the least. In 2017, it was announced that Blaney would no longer be driving the 21 car, with Paul Menard set to replace him, so Blaney could make the move to Team Penske full time driving the 12 car with Menards as the sponsor. This was a deal that had been in the works for a while, with a lot of speculation surrounding it. After finishing the 2017 season strong, all of Blaney’s fans were looking forward to seeing what he was going to be able to accomplish in his new car with his new team.
Ryan Blaney raced in the Clash and won Can-Am Duel #1, leading up to the Daytona 500. His win in Duel #1 gave him a starting position of 3 for the Great American Race. When you think of a normal track, you imagine a 3rd place starting position as a great opportunity to set you up for success. However, this is Daytona, a restrictor-plate track, and a beast of its own.
Blaney had a race high 118 laps led, with a win in stage 2. However, 2 laps before the checkers were waved, Blaney made contact with the 41 car of Kurt Busch, which caused damage on the 12 car. Blaney brought the car in for repairs and finished with a strong 7th place finish in the 2018 Daytona 500.
Blaney is always one to try to be positive, even when something like a wreck in the final 2 laps of the race really changes the outcome for him. “Yeah, you’re disappointed, you dominate a good race, that’s the way it goes.” In the past few years, his maturity level has really begun to shine through. Regan Smith earlier this week told a wonderful story about how Blaney saw him coming for an interview and graciously accepted even though it didn’t turn out the way he wanted. We have seen drivers walk away from media out of frustration, but Blaney is one who is always willing to graciously accept what cards are dealt to him. It’s admirable.
Stories have poured in over this past week with pictures of Blaney meeting young fans with a smile on his face and tweets promising fans that he will gladly sign anything they want. It’s this type of personality that makes a difference. You can be a champion on the track, but being a champion off the track is just as important. I believe we will see great things coming from not just the 12 team, but the driver of the 12 car himself for years to come.
As we look back on Daytona, we look forward to Atlanta this weekend. The 12 team gained a lot of points in the 500, regardless of the finish not being the outcome they ultimately wanted. With that type of performance, they are sitting on top of the leaderboard in the championship as of now. We are one week in, with 35 more races to go, but the spirits are high in the garage. There’s a lot of momentum heading into this weekend at Atlanta. Keep your eye out for the 12 team---they are going to make heads turn this season.
#teamblaney
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
February 18th, 2018
Ryan Blaney had a successful 2018 Speedweeks to say the least. In 2017, it was announced that Blaney would no longer be driving the 21 car, with Paul Menard set to replace him, so Blaney could make the move to Team Penske full time driving the 12 car with Menards as the sponsor. This was a deal that had been in the works for a while, with a lot of speculation surrounding it. After finishing the 2017 season strong, all of Blaney’s fans were looking forward to seeing what he was going to be able to accomplish in his new car with his new team.
Ryan Blaney raced in the Clash and won Can-Am Duel #1, leading up to the Daytona 500. His win in Duel #1 gave him a starting position of 3 for the Great American Race. When you think of a normal track, you imagine a 3rd place starting position as a great opportunity to set you up for success. However, this is Daytona, a restrictor-plate track, and a beast of its own.
Blaney had a race high 118 laps led, with a win in stage 2. However, 2 laps before the checkers were waved, Blaney made contact with the 41 car of Kurt Busch, which caused damage on the 12 car. Blaney brought the car in for repairs and finished with a strong 7th place finish in the 2018 Daytona 500.
Blaney is always one to try to be positive, even when something like a wreck in the final 2 laps of the race really changes the outcome for him. “Yeah, you’re disappointed, you dominate a good race, that’s the way it goes.” In the past few years, his maturity level has really begun to shine through. Regan Smith earlier this week told a wonderful story about how Blaney saw him coming for an interview and graciously accepted even though it didn’t turn out the way he wanted. We have seen drivers walk away from media out of frustration, but Blaney is one who is always willing to graciously accept what cards are dealt to him. It’s admirable.
Stories have poured in over this past week with pictures of Blaney meeting young fans with a smile on his face and tweets promising fans that he will gladly sign anything they want. It’s this type of personality that makes a difference. You can be a champion on the track, but being a champion off the track is just as important. I believe we will see great things coming from not just the 12 team, but the driver of the 12 car himself for years to come.
As we look back on Daytona, we look forward to Atlanta this weekend. The 12 team gained a lot of points in the 500, regardless of the finish not being the outcome they ultimately wanted. With that type of performance, they are sitting on top of the leaderboard in the championship as of now. We are one week in, with 35 more races to go, but the spirits are high in the garage. There’s a lot of momentum heading into this weekend at Atlanta. Keep your eye out for the 12 team---they are going to make heads turn this season.
#teamblaney
Follow and chat with me here: @emilyymooney
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