Friday, Sept. 21, 2012
RAM PR
Kentucky Speedway Ryan Blaney Open Interview
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RYAN BLANEY (No. 19 Cooper Standard RAM) TALK ABOUT YOUR WIN IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT IOWA AND HOW YOUR WEEK HAS GONE SINCE THEN? “Our Cooper Standard RAM was really good last Saturday night at Iowa. The crew definitely did a good job preparing for that race. It’s a place I had been to multiple times this year, so it was pretty easy going back there and knowing what to do. I think we have a pretty good race truck here this weekend. We don’t really have initial speed right off the bat, but should be pretty fast on long runs. Looking forward to tonight’s race and tomorrow (Nationwide) also. I was definitely busy this week after the win at Iowa. Hopefully, we can do it again. I wouldn’t mind that.”
HAS IT REALLY SUNK IN YET, THE VICTORY AND HOW FAST IT HAPPENED? “Yeah, I got slapped in the face today during practice (crash in Turn One in the primary truck during the first practice session forced the team to backup). That was a good reality check there. It’s definitely sunk in but took a while. You’ve got to look forward to next week and the races after that. You can’t let it keep entering your head too long.”
WHAT WAS THE CONVERSASTION LIKE WHEN YOU FINALLY GOT TO TALK TO BRAD (KESELOWSKI) AND DOES WINNING LAST WEEK IMPACT WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING NEXT SEASON; DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING NEXT SEASON? “The conversation with Brad was good. He called me Sunday before the Cup race and was really excited. He was really happy that BKR could finally get that first win. He has been trying hard to do that for a couple of years. He’s put a lot of time and effort into that program. It’s good to see it pay off for him. I think that kind of motivated him for Sunday to do as well as he did at Chicago. The victory, it doesn’t hurt next year; it definitely helps out. Nothing for next year has been discussed yet between anybody. I would like to stay where I’m at but it’s really up in the air right now.”
THE RACE AT IOWA: AT WHAT POINT DID YOU START TO THINK YOU COULD WIN THIS THING IF EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT? “I thought in practice we had a shot to win it. I knew we had a really fast truck in qualifying and race mode. Really, I thought our biggest competitor was the 7 (Parker Kligerman). He was really good out in the open by himself but it seemed like we could maneuver through traffic a lot better than him. I knew if we hit lap traffic or got back in the pack on pit strategy, we could probably stay ahead of him. I thought I could win all day really. We were really good all day. The guys (crew) did a great job and coming to the race track with a fast truck gave us the opportunity to win. Hopefully, we can have some more of those.”
WHAT WORDS DID YOUR DAD HAVE FOR YOU AFTER THE WIN AND WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SHARE THAT MOMENT WITH HIM? “It was very cool. He flew in Saturday night on Brad’s plane with his spotter. It was very cool he could be there at the last minute. You now, he said the normal dad routine – ‘good job, proud of you.’ He was kind of speechless I think. All smiles, he was smiling too much to talk. It was good having him there. My mom was there also and a big chunk of my family is from Des Moines, Iowa. I had a bunch of family members there.”
HAVE YOU TALKED TO BRAD ABOUT HOW TO RACE HERE AT KENTUCKY; HE WON THE CUP SERIES EVENT HERE AND HAS HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS? “I’ve talked to him a little bit and I’ve talked to my dad. I’ve raced here before, in the Nationwide car earlier this year with Tommy Baldwin. I’ve got a good idea how to get around the place. It’s definitely a lot different in the truck. I’ve talked to him and my dad and watched a bunch of tape. I’ve tried to be as prepared as I can for this weekend. It’s just way different in a truck than it is in a Nationwide car. I think we have a really good truck for tonight.”
HOW PATIENT ARE YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT? EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING REAL FAST. DOES THIS (WIN) CHANGE ANYTHIG WITH YOUR TIMETABLE? “It does, especially this week. I’ve barely been home all week. It’s definitely been very cool to be a part of all this media stuff they’re making me do. It’s definitely good. It’s never a bad thing to do all the media stuff. It’s definitely kept me busy. That’s not always a bad thing. You do well and keep busy. I’d like to keep staying busy, that would be good.”
DOUG RANDOLPH (CREW CHIEF ON THE No. 29 RAM) ALSO SERVED AS YOUR DAD’S CREW CHIEF: TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO WIN WITH SOMEONE YOUR DAD ALSO RACED WITH? “It was very cool to have Doug as my crew chief. My dad kind of started his NASCAR career off with Doug and I’m kind of doing the same with mine. It was very cool to have an old friend there crew chiefing the car. It’s kind of neat how we met up again. It was pretty easy from the start because I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve talked a lot, so it was pretty easy to talk to him initially when I started racing the trucks. It’s very cool to have Doug as our crew chief and pretty neat that he and my dad were driver-crew chief back in the day.”
YOU’RE 18 YEARS OLD AND HAVE WON A NASCAR NATIONAL SERIES RACE. WHAT ARE YOUR FRIENDS DOING THAT JUST GRATUATED HIGH SCHOOL? “Most of them are in college now, doing school work while I’m at a race track having fun. I got the life over them. I don’t see them much. I think I’m definitely having a lot more fun than they are.”
