A recovery from a slow start in the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway, coupled with a strong run from the start at New Hampshire have Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team in position to advance to the second round of the Monster Energy Cup playoffs.
Blaney enters Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway, the final race in Round One, in eighth place in the standings and with a 26-point gap between him and 13th-place Austin Dillon.
The bottom four of the 16 drivers who entered the championship hunt will be eliminated after Sunday’s race.
Team co-owner Eddie Wood said he’s cautiously optimistic about Sunday’s race at Dover, given the team’s steady performance under great pressure the past two weeks, with finishes of 11th at Chicago and ninth at New Hampshire, and the speed the team has shown at Dover in recent races there.
“We had a fast car at Dover in June,” Wood said. “We were seventh in the first stage and eighth in the second before a mechanical issue set us back.
“We’ve seen this year just how important those stage points can be, so we’re hoping for a solid qualifying effort that will give us track position early, which will be a key to earning stage points.”
While the Wood Brothers have a Cup owners’ championship from 1963, this year marks the first time that the team has participated in the multi-round format that determines the series champion. No matter how Sunday’s race turns out, the 2017 season will go down as a memorable one for the sport’s longest continuously operating race team.
“We’re grateful just to be in a position to advance to the second round of the playoffs,” Wood said. “It’s just our second year back on a full-time basis after running a partial schedule for seven seasons.
“We’ve been fortunate to have the support of Motorcraft and Quick Lane and all the people at Ford Motor Company, and our alliance with Team Penske has been a key to us getting our 99th win at Pocono and being on the verge of advancing to the Round of 12.”
Qualifying for Sunday’s 400-miler is set for Friday at 3:40 p.m. Eastern Time, and the race is scheduled to start just after 2 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on NBCSN.
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 No. 21 racecar.
