Ryan Blaney and the Wood Brothers Racing Team will be back to their Motorcraft/Quick Lane livery when they head to Sonoma Raceway in northern California for Sunday’s Save Mart 350 road race.
DEARBORN, Mich., June 21, 2017 – Ryan Blaney and the Wood Brothers Racing Team will be back to their Motorcraft/Quick Lane livery when they head to Sonoma Raceway in northern California for Sunday’s Save Mart 350 road race.
Blaney celebrated his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win in Pocono with a Michigan paint scheme dedicated to Omnicraft, Ford Motor Company’s new all-makes, all-models replacement parts brand. This week, clad again in the red and white of Motorcraft, he returns to the challenging twists and turns of Sonoma where he started 26th and finished 23rd a year ago.
This week’s race in wine country will only be Blaney’s second race at the famed road course on Sears Point. The Wood Brothers have had 20 more attempts at Sonoma than their driver, posting their best finish in 2005, a second place with Ricky Rudd behind the wheel. The Woods have a total of four top-10 finishes at Sonoma.
The action gets underway at 3 p.m. (EDT) on Friday with practice that can be seen on FS1.
RYAN BLANEY
On Sonoma Raceway:
“Sonoma was probably one of the toughest race tracks for me to get ahold of. It’s a really difficult road course, but I had a lot of fun there. It’s one of the most difficult places to try to be smooth but we’ll try to get better at that this year. Hopefully we can go back and try to get better at that race track.”
On the Track’s S Turns:
“The S’s are very hard to get through. It’s a big kind of momentum area. It’s different than the front part of the race track where it’s heavy braking and kind of hilly. Then you get to the S’s and there’s not a lot of braking you’re just trying to be smooth through there and carry as much speed as possible and use the curves to your advantage. That’s something that I struggled with a good bit in my first race there last year.”
RYAN BLANEY SONOMA FAST FACTS:
Qualified 26th and finished 23rd at Sonoma in 2016
Is 13th in driver points
Pocono win secured his playoff berth
WOOD BROTHERS SONOMA FAST FACTS:
This will be the team’s 22nd start at Sonoma
Best finish was second in 2005 with Ricky Rudd behind the wheel
Team has a total of four top-10 finishes
CREW CHIEF JEREMY BULLINS
On Sonoma Raceway:
“Sonoma is a test of mechanical grip and strategy. Having traction off the slow, flat corners is always a big deal there, so having a car that still turns well but has good drive off on throttle will be key. And being a road course a good pit strategy is key as well. A well-timed pit stop can net you several spots if the caution flag comes out at a favorable time.”
WEEKEND TV SCHEDULE ON FS1 (All times Eastern)
Friday June 23, 3-4:55 p.m. – Practice
June 23, 6:30-7:55 p.m. – Practice
Saturday June 24, 2:45 p.m. – Qualifying
Sunday June 25, 3 p.m. – Save Mart 350
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 99 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. 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.
