While most NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers spent last week enjoying the off-week, Ryan Blaney was one of those who didn’t put the steering wheel down. He headed off to Kentucky Speedway to drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge for Penske Racing. It turned out to be a good decision as he won the race, scoring his first career Nationwide Series victory.
Blaney said that the win stacks right up there with his first career Truck Series win at Iowa last year, but doesn’t top that win.
“I don’t think any win is ever going to be as special as that first one,” he added.
Now with that under his belt, Blaney’s focus shifts back to his truck as he heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“Any time that a driver is coming off a win the week before just gives the driver a lot of momentum, a lot of confidence to go in there the next week and try to repeat what you did the previous week,” he said. “So I’m really looking forward to getting to Las Vegas, and like you said, my first time to be out there and get on that racetrack.”
Blaney didn’t get off to the start he wanted this season, but says the past few months have been really solid. In the last six races, he has a win at Pocono, along with a pair of thirds at Bristol and Chicago.
“I think my Brad Keselowski Racing team has really improved here over the past few months with winning Pocono and having a good shot to win Bristol and running up front in Chicago,” he commented. “It’s unfortunate we got ourselves so far behind in the first half of the season, but that’s what racing is all about. The 88 team has done an awesome job of really being consistent and really being able to build up that huge point lead.”
“Right now our focus is to try to go out there and win these last, final races, and I think that, if the points work out to our favor, maybe we’ll be right there. But my main goal and the main goal of our team is to go out and try to win every one of these last races.”
With his success this year across the board, there’s a lot of talk surrounding Blaney’s plans for 2014. He says he’s not sure of his plans, but his loyalty is to Penske and Brad Keselowski Racing right now.
