Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Continue Fast Start To 2017 With Seventh-Place Finish At Las Vegas

March 12, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team continued their strong start to the 2017 season with a trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway that saw them fast in practice, qualifying and the race. And they head to Phoenix International Raceway sixth in the points standings after a seventh-place finish in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas that netted them 43 points, including 13 earned by finishing in the top 10 in the first two stages of Sunday’s race.

Blaney’s finish, along with that of his Ford teammates Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer, gave Ford four of the top-10 finishers in Sunday’s race.
The finish also gives Blaney two finishes of seventh or better in the three races run so far this season, the other being a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500.

On Sunday, Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team had to overcome several obstacles on the way to his 13th top-10 finish – and his eighth on an intermediate track – since joining the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.

Early in the race, he ran in the top five after starting third but had to make an unscheduled pit stop. That extra stop also meant that the team had to use one of its allotted eight sets of tires that it had planned for use later in the race. Then, on the final restart, Blaney got bogged down by the slow start of a driver in front of him.

“I thought we are a little bit better than that,” Blaney said in his post-race comments. “We had to come in early in the race and that put us behind.”

Despite the extra stop, Blaney motored his way back into the lead pack and was poised to race for a top-five finish when the green flag flew for the final run to the checkered flag.

“Our car was good enough and once we got back inside the top 10 I felt that we had a shot at fourth or fifth, but that last restart didn’t go our way,” Blaney said. “Good car. Good effort overall. I can’t thank the Wood Brothers enough.”

Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team now head to Phoenix Raceway for the second of three races in NASCAR’s western swing with high hopes of building on their performance in the first three races of this season.

In two starts at Phoenix last year, Blaney had finishes of 10th and eighth.

Blaney Posts Fastest Qualifying Lap at Las Vegas, Will Start Third On Sunday

March 11, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team put forth a strong effort on Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and wound up with the third starting position for Sunday’s Kobalt 400.

Blaney was seventh fastest in the opening practice session with a best lap at 192.356 miles per hour. Then during qualifying he was 15th in the first of three rounds with a lap at 192.280 mph, assuring that he would advance to Round Two.

After crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team made some adjustments for the second round, Blaney ran a lap at 194.147 mph, the fastest of the 24 drivers who advanced from the first round and the fastest speed turned by any driver in the three sessions.
Continue reading Blaney Posts Fastest Qualifying Lap at Las Vegas, Will Start Third On Sunday →

Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Feeling Upbeat About Vegas

March 8, 2017

Ford Motor Company’s NASCAR teams head into this weekend’s races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on a roll, having won the first two Cup races of the season and scoring eight other top-10 finishes.

Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are among those headed West with momentum after having fast Ford Fusions in the first two races of the season.

Blaney finished second at Daytona and was poised for another strong run at Atlanta Motor Speedway before early tire troubles left him mired deep in the field for much of the race. Continue reading Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Feeling Upbeat About Vegas →

Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Finish 18th At Atlanta Despite Early Setback

March 5, 2017

For the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, a somewhat disappointing day at Atlanta Motor Speedway was much easier to take because their No. 21 Ford Fusion had the speed to finish much higher than the 18th place it wound up.

On Sunday, in the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500, Ryan Blaney was on the march from the drop of the green flag, moving from his 14th starting position to seventh in the first 30 laps.

But just a few laps after his first pit stop he returned to pit road under the green flag due to a vibration. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew changed tires and returned him to the track one lap behind the leader, which ordinarily wouldn’t be cause for great concern. Continue reading Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Finish 18th At Atlanta Despite Early Setback →

Ryan Blaney to Start 14th on Sunday

March 3, 2017

In his second Atlanta Motor Speedway appearance in a Monster Energy Cup car, Ryan Blaney picked up considerably from a year ago by posting the 14th best lap in Friday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

Blaney advanced out of the first of three qualifying rounds with a lap at 187.875 miles per hour. In the second round, he was again 14th, with a speed of 186.623. Last year he started 23rd.

Atlanta is a track where the Blaney family has shown great speed. Blaney’s father Dave, now retired from the Cup series, had one of his best career runs at Atlanta in the spring race of 2001, when Ryan was just seven years old. Continue reading Ryan Blaney to Start 14th on Sunday →

Wood Brothers Looking To Build On Their Rich History at Atlanta

March 1, 2017

The Wood Brothers and Atlanta Motor Speedway have a lot in common, besides their history with each other.

The Woods are one of NASCAR’s cornerstone teams, having run their first NASCAR race back in 1953 and continuing today, where they’re the sport’s longest-participating team. Continue reading Wood Brothers Looking To Build On Their Rich History at Atlanta →

Blaney’s Runner-Up Run Secures 1-2 Finish For Ford In Daytona 500

February 26, 2017

Thanks to some quick work by the Wood Brothers crew and some heads-up driving by Ryan Blaney, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team was able to do its part to deliver Ford Motor Company a 1-2 finish in NASCAR’s biggest race.

Blaney, in a back-up No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion, charged from 40th place at the start into the top five in the first 26 laps of Sunday’s 59th annual Daytona 500, then into the lead by lap 49. Continue reading Blaney’s Runner-Up Run Secures 1-2 Finish For Ford In Daytona 500 →

Blaney 18th In Daytona 500 Qualifying

February 19, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion will start Thursday’s second Can-AM Duel qualifying race from ninth position after Blaney was 18th fastest in Sunday’s pole qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Blaney’s qualifying speed of 191.746 miles per hour was a bit disappointing given his speed in Saturday’s practice session. There he was fifth fastest with a best lap at 192.980 mph. Continue reading Blaney 18th In Daytona 500 Qualifying →

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Ready To Build On Its Daytona History

February 16, 2017

The long winter’s wait is over for the Wood Brothers and their Motorcraft/Quick Lane race team.

The iconic No. 21 Ford Fusion returns to the track this week at the Daytona International Speedway to start the 2017 Monster Energy Cup season. It’s the second-straight year that the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will be competing on a full-time basis, but the team’s history in the elite division dates back to 1953, further than any active team on the circuit. Continue reading Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Ready To Build On Its Daytona History →

Disappointing Finish at Homestead Doesn’t Dampen Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team’s Enthusiasm About 2017

November 20, 2016

An early encounter with the wall kept Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team from achieving the result they were hoping for in the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But as Blaney and the team head into the off-season, the future looks much more encouraging.

Team co-owner Len Wood said the 2016 season has been a great learning experience for Blaney and his young crew, and that will pay dividends in the future.

“Ryan now has a full year under his belt,” Wood said. “He’s run all the tracks, and next year will be a lot better for him.” Continue reading Disappointing Finish at Homestead Doesn’t Dampen Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team’s Enthusiasm About 2017 →

Blaney Qualifies Eighth For The Third-Straight Week

November 18, 2016

Ryan Blaney and his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion wound up in a familiar position after Friday’s Sprint Cup qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

After finishing 11th in the first round of knock-out qualifying and second in the second session, Blaney was eighth in Round Three. It was the third straight week that Blaney qualified eighth and the ninth time this season that he qualified eighth or better. He’s earned a top-12 starting position 12 times this season. Continue reading Blaney Qualifies Eighth For The Third-Straight Week →

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Has Performed Well In Return To Full-Time Sprint Cup Competition
November 15, 2016

A year ago, during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Eddie and Len Wood along with representatives of Ford Motor Company and Motorcraft/Quick Lane announced the latest chapter in the long and storied history of the Wood Brothers racing team.

After spending seven years running a limited Sprint Cup schedule and regrouping the organization, the Woods and their No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion would return to a full-time status. Continue reading Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Has Performed Well In Return To Full-Time Sprint Cup Competition →

Late-Race Surge Lifts Blaney, No. 21 SKF Ford Fusion To Eighth at Phoenix

November 14, 2016

Ryan Blaney and the crew of his No. 21 SKF/Kaman Industrial Technologies Ford Fusion spent most of Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway working to make his car handle better.

The hard work paid off in the end as Blaney surged forward in the closing laps to finish eighth, his ninth top-10 finish of the 2016 season. Continue reading Late-Race Surge Lifts Blaney, No. 21 SKF Ford Fusion To Eighth at Phoenix →

Blaney Qualifies Eighth At Phoenix In No. 21 SKF/KAMAN Ford Fusion

November 11, 2016

Ryan Blaney breezed through all three rounds of knock-out qualifying at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday to put his No. 21 SKF/KAMAN Ford Fusion in the eighth starting spot for Sunday’s Can-Am 500.

It was Blaney’s 11th top-12 qualifying effort this season. Continue reading Blaney Qualifies Eighth At Phoenix In No. 21 SKF/KAMAN Ford Fusion →

Blaney and No. 21 SKF Ford Team Looking To Build Momentum At Phoenix

November 9, 2016

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 SKF Ford Fusion team head into this weekend’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway heartened by a strong run at Texas Motor Speedway and looking to end the season on a positive note.

With Sunday’s race being the next-to-last event on the 2016 Sprint Cup schedule, Blaney and his Wood Brothers team are hoping to match – or better – their Phoenix performance back in March when he recorded his second top-10 finish of the season. Continue reading Blaney and No. 21 SKF Ford Team Looking To Build Momentum At Phoenix →

Blaney Finishes 12th in Rain-Shortened AAA Texas 500

November 6, 2016

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 BorgWarner crew had a fast Ford Fusion throughout Sunday’s rain-delayed Texas AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and came home 12th in the rain-shortened event.

Blaney started eighth and ran around the top 10 – and as high as fifth place – for most of the race.

The BorgWarner Ford Fusion was at its best on long runs, and Blaney also was able to find speed by running the top lane. Continue reading Blaney Finishes 12th in Rain-Shortened AAA Texas 500 →

Blaney Will Start Eighth At Texas In No. 21 BorgWarner Ford Fusion

November 4, 2016

With new sponsor BorgWarner on board, Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Wood Brothers team turned in one of their best qualifying efforts of the season.

Blaney, who was fifth fastest in Friday’s opening practice session, made it through all three rounds of knock-out qualifying and wound up with the eighth starting position for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Continue reading Blaney Will Start Eighth At Texas In No. 21 BorgWarner Ford Fusion →

Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford Fusion to Carry BorgWarner Colors at Texas Motor Speedway

November 1, 2016

The Wood Brothers and their iconic No. 21 Ford Fusion will carry the colors of automotive supplier BorgWarner Inc. in this weekend’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The pairing of the Woods and BorgWarner is an appropriate one, given the long histories of the two companies. The Woods have been racing in NASCAR continuously since 1953, longer than any other team. BorgWarner, which is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., was formed in 1928 and has become a global product leader in clean and efficient technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. Continue reading Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford Fusion to Carry BorgWarner Colors at Texas Motor Speedway →

Blaney Drives Virginia Tech Fusion To A 19th-Place Finish at Martinsville

October 30, 2016

Ryan Blaney drove the No. 21 Virginia Tech Ford Fusion to a 19th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500, recording his 21st finish of 19th or better in the 33 races so far this season.

Blaney started 15th and ran between 15th and 20th for much of the afternoon.

“It was kind of an up-and-down day for sure,” he said. “On some runs we were OK, and other runs we kind of struggled a little bit.” Continue reading Blaney Drives Virginia Tech Fusion To A 19th-Place Finish at Martinsville →

Blaney Optimistic After Qualifying 15th At Martinsville

October 28, 2016

The 25th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies set the weekend standards pretty high Thursday night with a 39-36 win over the Pittsburgh Panthers, but Ryan Blaney and the crew of his No. 21 Virginia Tech Ford Fusion believe they can do their part to make the Hokie faithful proud in this weekend’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Continue reading Blaney Optimistic After Qualifying 15th At Martinsville →