SPARTA, Ky. – Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ryan Blaney doesn’t have a lot of experience in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars.
That doesn’t mean Blaney doesn’t know what he likes — and he likes the lower-downforce aerodynamic package in use this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, which has changed dramatically with a recent repaving and reconfiguration of the corners.
“I would say that I’ve been on track with the Sprint Cup cars and with the new aero package and all those things, and it’s been a bit of a joy to drive,” Blaney said during a rain delay on Friday afternoon. “The cars are challenging to drive like we thought they would be and like we hoped they would be.
“The mid-corner speed is way down. The straightaway speed is way up, so that’s a bit of a handful, but the good kind of handful that I think really challenges drivers to push it to the limits.”
With time trials canceled because of a rain-tightened schedule on Friday, Blaney will start 15th on owner points in Saturday night’s Quaker State 400. He was 17th fastest in Friday afternoon’s practice session.
“It’s had decent speed so far, but maybe not exactly where we want to be,” Blaney said of his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. “We’ve got a little more time to work on it, so we’re going to go and do just that. I’m happy, of course, to be starting up front.
“You always want to earn it on the track during that weekend, but there is some sense of having earned it over the course of the season with points and so forth, and the success you’ve had on track, so either way it feels good to be starting up front. Hopefully, we can keep it up there all weekend long.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
