Blaney, Wood Brothers Tend to Perform Well on 1.5-Milers Like Charlotte
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 4, 2017 – With the first NASCAR Playoffs hurdle cleared – transferring to Round 2 – Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team embark on the second leg of the championship journey, which begins Sunday with the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Unlike the first round, which Blaney and the Wood Brothers’ famous No. 21 started in eighth place, well above the 12-car cutoff, they start Round 2 in ninth. Only the top eight will advance to the third round.
The Round 3 tracks, however, play to Blaney’s and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team’s strengths – 1.5-mile tracks (Charlotte and Kansas) and a superspeedway (Talladega).
RYAN BLANEY
On the NASCAR Playoffs:
“I think the tracks in the second round play into our favor. We are really fast at 1.5-mile race tracks and had a good run at Kansas earlier and at speedways we run great. Charlotte, we had a broken axle earlier this year but we were pretty decent in that race before that happened. The 1.5-mile tracks seem to be our strong suit and hopefully we can keep that up and keep making that our strong suit.”
On Charlotte Motor Speedway:
“I am excited to get to Charlotte. Charlotte is pretty much a home track for me. I grew up pretty close to there and I enjoy running that race track.”
“The day race is better because you can move around a lot more. It’s nice when you can have multiple lanes to run in and move around. That’s what drivers want and that’s what fans want to see. It’s always pretty good when we’re given options and not bottom feeding. That place is really fun and it’s a mile and a half and we should start the second round strong there.”
RYAN BLANEY NASCAR PLAYOFFS STATUS:
Is ninth on the NASCAR Playoffs grid after the points re-set for Round 2
RYAN BLANEY CHARLOTTE FAST FACTS:
Broken axle thwarted a top-10 finish in May
Average start is 15th, average finish is 26.2
Has 10 total top-10 finishes in 2017
Has 16 total top-20 finishes in 2017
WOOD BROTHERS CHARLOTTE FAST FACTS:
This will be the team’s 115h overall start at Charlotte
Has six wins at the track
Team has 24 top-five finishes at Charlotte
Has scored 21 poles at Charlotte
JEREMY BULLINS
On the NASCAR Playoffs:
“The tracks in the second round – Charlotte, Talladega and Kansas – I feel like we can win at any of those. Those are all very good race tracks for us. I think the schedule starts to get in our favor a little bit with some places we’ve run really well at.”
Charlotte Motor Speedway:
“In the 600 at Charlotte earlier in the season we were running in the top five and had an axle failure there.”
WEEKEND SCHEDULE ON NBCSN & NBC (All times Eastern)
Friday: Oct. 6, 1:30-2:55 p.m. – Practice, NBCSN
Oct. 6, 7:20 p.m. – Qualifying, NBCSN
Saturday: Oct. 7, 11-11:50 a.m. – Practice, NBCSN
Oct. 7, 1:30-2:20 p.m. – Practice, NBCSN
Sunday: Oct. 8, 2 p.m. – Bank of America 500, NBC
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.
