After scoring points in the first two stages of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, a stuck jack on pit road and a Stage 3 wreck pushed the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion back to a 25th-place finish.
RIDGEWAY, Va., April 2, March 26, 2017 – After scoring points in the first two stages of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, a stuck jack on pit road and a Stage 3 wreck pushed the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion back to a 25th-place finish.
Starting seventh due to a qualifying rainout and a grid based on owner’s points, driver Ryan Blaney was a mainstay in the top 10 during the first two stages of the race. He overcame a long lap-70 pit stop when a lug nut got stuck in an air gun to finish Stage 1 where he started, adding an extra four points.
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford did not pit between stages and moved up to third to start Stage 2. Blaney got passed on lap 149 and spent 73 laps in fourth before finishing the second segment in fifth, tallying another six points.
Things began to go awry in the final stage of the 70th anniversary race at the Wood Brothers’ home track. Pitting from the fifth spot after Stage 2, a jack got stuck under the car causing Blaney and company to lose 10 spots of track position. Almost 60 laps later, Blaney got caught in a multi-car wreck resulting in damage that required multiple trips to the pits to repair.
When the dust settled, Blaney was all the way back to 29th place, two laps behind the leader. He made up four places racing a heavily taped Fusion during the final 100 laps.
Despite the finish, helped by scoring 10 points in the first two stages of the race, Blaney stays in the top 10 – seventh – in the driver points standings.
The NASCAR circuit heads to the Lone Star State next weekend, April 9, for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. ET.
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.
