An early race brush with the wall and the resulting flat tire put Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team down a lap early, pushing the Wood Brothers’ iconic No. 21 back to a 26th-place finish in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
HOMESTEAD, Fla., November 20, 2016 – An early race brush with the wall and the resulting flat tire put Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team down a lap early, pushing the Wood Brothers’ iconic No. 21 back to a 26th-place finish in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Blaney, who started eighth, was battling a loose race car from the drop of the green flag and drifted out of the top 10 after 13 laps and was out of the top 15 after 20 laps before hitting the wall.
“I hit the fence early and ruined our day pretty much,” Blaney said after climbing out of his scarred No. 21 Ford. “We didn’t even get a chance to (work on the car).”
Once the Wood Brothers’ pit crew got their rookie driver back on the track, he was well back in the pack and found the going tough as he tried to work his was back.
“Once you hit the fence in these corners it ruins your whole race car,” Blaney explained. “I should have been smarter than that but I wasn’t.”
Still, Blaney was able to navigate through another brush with the wall and avoid the late-race wrecks to finish 26th.
Blaney completes his rookie season 20th in the driver points standings andin rookie points.
Overall in 2016, Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team scored three top-five finishes, nine top-10s, 18 top-15s and 24 top-20 results.
The next race on the NASCAR schedule is the Daytona 500, Sunday Feb. 26, 2017.
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 more than 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 Glen 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 NASCA’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. Glen’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.
