NASCAR
Ryan Blaney Looks for First Bristol Win after Early Exit in April Race
As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, 1 driver has redemption on their mind. That driver would be none other than the driver of the #12 Penske Racing Ford, Ryan Blaney. This year has been a let down for the #12 team, as they have yet to get to victory lane. However, it didn’t seem as if that would be the case in the first 2 months for the 3rd-year driver. Blaney had five top tens in the first seven races and saw himself sitting third in points. While the performance for Blaney remained, the results began to take a downward spiral. This resulted in a rough summer for Blaney, and it all began at Bristol. Even with past success at the short track, Blaney is still searching for his first Bristol win.
Ryan Blaney Looks for Redemption
Entering Bristol in April, Blaney was on a hot streak. He was looking for his first Cup Series victory at the Tennessee track. While not having a top 10 finish at the track in his previous 5 starts, Bristol is a track that Blaney runs well at. He is a Bristol winner in both the Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series. It seems as if it is only a matter of time before he breaks through for his first Bristol win in the Cup Series. When the race in April got underway, it felt as if it might be the day which he broke through. Blaney was dominant in the first stage and was closing in on a Stage 1 victory when disaster struck. After leading 100 of the race’s first 117 laps, Blaney was involved in an incident which ended his day early with a 35th place finish.
So entering tonight’s race, Ryan Blaney is sure to have redemption on his mind. After being checked out of the care center in April he said, “That stinks, I thought we had a good car and nothing to show for it.” With that comment alone, you can tell that Blaney felt as if it was one race that got away. So it is certain that Blaney will be looking for redemption. With the performance of the #12 team being better in recent weeks, it is certainly something that could happen. In the past 5 races, Blaney has 2 top 5s, 3 top 10s, and has not finished worse than 12th. Look for the #12 car to be up front and challenging for his first Bristol win at the top level.
