- It’s been seven years since the Wood Brothers last unloaded their iconic No. 21 at Richmond International Raceway and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Team will be trying to make its 2016 return to the ¾-mile track in the historic southern city a memorable one.
- “I like the track,” driver Ryan Blaney said. “We’ve had good cars there and bad cars. But the race track itself is fun to race on.”
DEARBORN, Mich., April 20, 2016 – It’s been seven years since the Wood Brothers last unloaded their iconic No. 21 at Richmond International Raceway and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Team will be trying to make its 2016 return to the ¾-mile track in the historic southern city a memorable one.
Rookie driver Ryan Blaney has yet to run a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond but he has run four XFINITY series races there and finished in the top 10 on each occasion, most recently a fourth place in 2014.
“I like the track,” Blaney said. “We’ve had good cars there and bad cars. But the race track itself is fun to race on.”
Crew chief Jeremy Bullins said he expects his rookie driver to be as quick a study in the Cup car at Richmond as he has been on other new tracks for him so far this season.
“I don’t think it will be a problem for us,” Bullins said. “We ran races there in the Penske XFINITY car and had good runs. It’s a place I feel he will adapt to quickly in the Cup car.”
Should Blaney adapt quickly enough to win at Richmond, he will join Speedy Thompson (spring 1960) and Kyle Petty (spring 1986) as Wood Brothers wheelmen who have visited Victory Lane there.
To do that, however, the team and driver will have to make sure the No. 21 Ford Fusion is balanced for both long and short green-flag runs and perhaps be the beneficiary of some good racing fortune.
“There is always a fine line between getting your car to turn and have speed early in a run without building too loose in or losing too much drive off,” Bullins explained. “You generally get tighter in the center of the corner as you go as well, so finding a balance that gives you both short- and long-run speed is a challenge. Often cars that fire off the fastest on re-starts may lead for 15-25 laps and another car will come on strong and take the lead by 40-50 laps into a run, then you get a caution and all that starts over again.
“You have to hope the race plays out to your strong suit,” he continued. “If you have a good short-run car, you hope for a lot of cautions. If you have a long-run car you want the race to go green.”
Blaney said he expects a more genteel race at Richmond compared to those run at the shorter Martinsville and Bristol ovals.
“I don’t expect as much bumping at Richmond,” he said. “The other two tracks are a lot rougher and there’s more contact.”
Overall, Blaney likes the progress his team is making in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
“I feel like we’ve gotten a lot better,” he said. “We’ve had our ups and downs but hopefully we can hit our stride soon.”
Blaney heads into Richmond 19th in the driver standings and trails Chase Elliott on the Rookie of the Year chart by 21 points.
The practice session for Toyota Owners 400 qualifying begins at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 22 and can be seen live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Qualifying will take place later that day at 4:15 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on FS1. Saturday’s practice sessions will be run at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., April 23 and be shown on FS1. The Toyota Owners 400 500 begins on FOX at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 24.
Toyota Owners 400/Richmond International Raceway
Track: 3/4-mile
Laps: 400 (300 miles)
1st Race: 1953
Wood Brothers Wins: 2
Race Record: Dale Jarrett, 1997, 109.047 mph
2015 Winner: Matt Kenseth
2015 No. 21 Finish: Did not compete
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About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With nearly 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 98 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 117 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney in the famous number 21 racecar.
