Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at Bowman Gray Media Availability | Saturday, February 1, 2025
Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is looking for his first career victory in The Clash. He stopped by the infield media center at Bowman Gray Stadium to talk about opening the season at one of NASCAR’s historic tracks and his hopes for Sunday’s race.
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CLASH BEING HERE AT BOWMAN GRAY, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE NASCAR ELECTRIC VEHICLE FORD UNVEILED EARLIER THIS WEEK? “Talking first about being here, I ran here 20 years ago or so in Bandelero’s, so it’s nice to be back. I think the reputation of this place, a lot of passionate people around the area that love Bowman Gray and a track that’s really historic. I think it’s a good race for this Clash. You have the ability to move this race around to different parts of the country, so that’s nice. At the Ford Launch Party a couple nights ago they announced some really cool stuff, whether it’s EV, different series that they want to peek into, some really neat stuff on the horizon there, and I think that’s a lot of just Jim Farley wanting to be a part of everything, so I think it’s neat to be a part of a company like that, that’s always wanting to spread their wings even more than they already are, so I’m excited to see where that goes at some point. Hopefully, I get to drive it at some point. That would be nice.”
DID YOU FEEL LIKE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BANDOLERO’S DID YOU HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS GOING BACK TO MIDDLE SCHOOL? “I grew up in High Point, so kind of this Triad area, so I had a lot of friends and family that came here a lot on the weekends. I had some buddies that were at that race and they thought it was pretty cool that, ‘Hey, you ran at Bowman Gray. I watched you at Bowman Gray.’ You’re just a kid and you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah. That was awesome.’ Back then in a Bandelero, this place is massive and it’s just funny putting it into perspective of what you don’t know and now this is the smallest place we go to with what we do, but it was just neat to run there back then and just kind of be overwhelmed by the people. That was the most people you ever raced in front of at that age and you saw the passion. I was getting shot the bird by kids younger than me when I was 10. It’s like, ‘OK. This is what this place is about.’ People like you or not and I don’t even think they didn’t like me. I was 10 years old What’s not to like about a 10 year old. They just did what their parents were doing, so that part was pretty funny to me. I’m sure you’ll see a lot of that tomorrow night.”
WOULD YOU STILL HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS IF YOU WIN TOMORROW NIGHT? “Yeah, I mean this is an exhibition race. It’s the Clash, but you still want to win it and you want to win at neat places, historical places like this. Those guys who won at the Coliseum, that’s a really historic place. You can say that I won at the Coliseum in L.A. and here it’s the same way. I think to be able to have that title would be pretty cool. And, like I said, it has home ties to me, so that’s another thing that I think would be special.”
WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT ON THE NEW RULE THAT ALLOWS AN ELITE DRIVER IN THE FIELD? “I might be biased, but I love Helio, so I was psyched when it was like, ‘OK, he’s running the 500. Oh, and he’s locked in? That’s great for Helio.’ He was in Indy Cars when I was over there at Penske for a while before he moved on, so I love Helio and I’m happy that I’m gonna be able to race against him because I loved growing up watching him run Indy Cars, and then to get to be a semi-teammate driving for the same guy for a long time with Roger, so I didn’t really have any thoughts about it, to be honest with you. I was just excited that Helio is gonna be running the 500.”
DO YOU FEEL YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU’RE ALLOWED TO RACE AT DAYTONA COMING UP AFTER THE MEETING WITH NASCAR EARLIER THIS WEEK? “It’s tough. What is race manipulation and what is working together as a team like at a superspeedway?”
CAN YOU MANIPULATE A RACE AT DAYTONA? “If you have four cars and maybe you run four-wide, but that’s over the top. You have to think what is logical racing. Us and the Wood Brothers, we try to find each other and get lined up because we can go forward. That is obviously just your plan and that’s racing, but if you’re trying to three or four-wide and block a track, that’s ridiculous. There are judgement calls, I think, but at the end of the day all of that stuff, I think, there have been some weird occasions that it’s gotten really blown out of proportion. Some more egregious than others like the Martinsville thing, but the speedway stuff, I don’t think you’re gonna see anything that egregious. You’re not gonna see people running four-wide to stop a track up. That’s just stupid. At 200 miles an hour, you’re gonna hurt people, but I’m happy that NASCAR cracked down on it. You have to have penalties for this stuff if it’s that egregious.”
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS RACE GO TO AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE OUT OF THIS RACE GOING FORWARD? “I said it earlier. This is a perfect race that you have a chance to move it around and go to different parts of the country and maybe even outside of the USA to give a different part of an area and a fan base something to watch – NASCAR and Cup cars in general. Where I would like to see it? I mean, I really don’t have a preference. I was fine with the Coliseum. I was fine with it here. I don’t really have any preference or reservations about going anywhere. For a while it was at Daytona at the speedway and everyone was upset that we were wrecking too many cars, but now we probably wreck just as many cars, but I really don’t care. Wherever you want to take it, that you can get a lot of eyes on it, I think it’s fine with me.”
HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE STATE OF THE SPORT COMING OFF OF A CONTROVERSIAL FILLED PLAYOFFS AND STARTING UP A NEW SEASON? “I think the sport, I mean, he and I have been around the sport watching our dads running for a long time, and like he said, they’ve been making some decisions and changing some stuff up the most that they ever have in a positive way. A lot of people crap on it for some reason, the sport, and decisions that NASCAR makes and it’s like, ‘Why?’ I really don’t understand why people take a dump on decisions that these guys and girls are making because I haven’t really seen many that are bad. Everyone has their opinion and that’s fine, but every time I look at social media they’re just like, ‘Oh my God. It’s terrible right now. It’s in an awful spot.’ And it’s like, ‘Why is that?’ I don’t really understand. As a competitor, I don’t think it is. I think it’s great right now. I do think it’s in a good place. Not everything is gonna be a homerun. Things that NASCAR does or whatever, but I really think it is moving in a positive direction and it has been for years, I think.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NASCAR NOT CHANGING THE PLAYOFF FORMAT THIS YEAR AND ARE THERE ANY CHANGES YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE? “I’m open to change. It’s been this way for, this will be the 11th year of this format with the way the playoffs are, so I’m open to change, whether you go back to I really don’t care either way. If it’s a full season points thing, if you have somewhat of a chase format, whether you’re 10 races to the end of the season, whether you’re five races to the end of the season, I don’t know, but I’m open to anything honestly, so I’m not gonna go into all the changes I’d like to see made or what I think, but I know there’s been discussion with NASCAR, like drivers and stuff. We’ve been talking to NASCAR about ideas and they didn’t do anything for this year, but I know they’re seriously thinking about it and trying to make it very entertaining and kind of give people a little bit something different. We’ll see what happens.”
Tim Brown, driver of the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will be making his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend in the Clash at Bowman Gray. The 12-time modified track champion spoke to members of the media before tonight’s practice session and heat races.
TIM BROWN, No. 15 Dairi-O/Jerry Hunt/Hayes Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DOES THIS MOMENT MEAN TO GET THIS OPPORTUNITY? “It means everything to me, not just to me but my family and all of our partners and sponsors that have been with me through this journey for many years. Just to be at this level to get to shine is just outstanding and I can’t wait to make the best of it.”
WHAT IF ANYTHING DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE EXPERIENCE HERE MAY BENEFIT YOU, AND IS JUST BEING PART OF THIS AS SPECIAL AS POTENTIALLY HAVING A TOP FINISH? “Being a part is super special as far as racing here for the last thirty-something years, and knowing the racetrack and every crack and crevice, I think, is a little bit of an advantage, but these guys drive these cars all the time and you get very limited practice here, so I think the learning curve for both of us is gonna be very short. As far as being special, it’s very special just to be here, but I’m a racer and I want to win this thing. That’s why we’re here and we’ve worked really hard to build the best car at RWR that we could build to put on a good show today.”
IS FIGHTING REQUIRED? IS IT PART OF THE RULES HERE? “You might as well say yes. I mean, let’s be real. If you race here for thirty some years, you’re gonna fight.”
HOW MANY FIGHTS HAVE YOU BEEN IN? “Ten. That’s pretty good, right? They’re good ones, though. Does that matter?”
HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE YOU WON? “All of them.”
WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE FIGHT HERE? “Just the passion. I’m very passionate about what I do on and off the racetrack and we take a lot of pride in our equipment and our race cars are immaculate, so we don’t make a lot of money to do this at this level, so if you tear my race car up, I’m gonna come and see you.”
HOW MUCH, IF ANY, DID THOSE CRACKS AND CREVICES CHANGE WITH THE NEW WALLS? “The walls did change the view of the racetrack from what I’m used to seeing for so many years. It’s beautiful out there, but it does change the way you see the racetrack as you’re driving, so it was unique and learning to adapt to that this morning in the modified practice, and I think it’s gonna be even more unique with the Cup car with the full body and the full windshield and all that, so I’m looking forward to that.”
DID THE RACING GROOVE CHANGE AT ALL AND TAKE AWAY ANY OF THE UPPER GROOVE? “Not really. I thought from pictures and seeing the track visually I thought, ‘Man, this is way different.’ The biggest difference, honestly, is just visually. As far as the track groove, I think it’s basically the same. It is for the modified anyway. I’m not sure with the Cup car, yet.”
WHO FROM YOUR FAMILY ALSO RACED HERE? “Just my grandfather My did didn’t race.”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ABLE TO RACE HERE WHERE YOUR GRANDFATHER RACED AND WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF THIS TRACK? “I can remember, I don’t maybe, being five or six years old playing right over here where you go onto the racetrack around fire barrel as a little kid – like me and Burt Myers and a bunch of the other kids would hang out in the pits with our families as they were working on race cars and we would run around. There used to be trees over there and play, so I’ve kind of grown up here. That’s what makes it even more special to get to make a Cup debut here.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR GRANDFATHER WOULD THINK OF THIS? “He is smiling today, for sure.”
DO YOU SEE THE CHANGES HERE BEING PROGRESS AND KIND OF A NECESSARY STEP TO UPGRADE THE FACILITY? “Absolutely. Cosmetically, it’s beautiful and that’s important too for the fans that come, for sponsors to spend money to come. If you say, ‘Hey, we’re partners with teams that race here’ and you show them this race track now, they’re gonna be impressed. Now, it did have some history with the old guard rails laid over and painted and things and had some character and very historical, but it’s just a new chapter, so it’ll still have the same persona, it’ll still have the same passion of fans and it’ll still put on a great race, but it just looks great now.”
IS THERE A PART OF YOU THAT WOULD BE ROOTING FOR BURT MYERS THAT IF HE SHOWS WELL HE’S ONE OF THE GUYS HERE? “That’s a tough question to answer because the racer in me says no, but I think it’s good that both of us got this opportunity to do this and thanks to everybody involved that thinks the same way. At my age, just to get the opportunity to do this is overwhelming and it’s super special and I’ve got to thank Rick and Lisa Ware for the opportunity, and Todd Hunt at Jerry Hunt Supercenter for all that he does or we wouldn’t be here, period. I want to run well, and I want to show that we deserve to be here, that it’s just not a ‘hey, let’s give this old guy an opportunity to go ride around in a Cup car.’ I feel like I deserve to be here. I’ve dedicated my whole life to racing and I’ve worked my butt off and here we are and make the best of it.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE CINDERELLA GOING TO THE BALL AND THEN ON MONDAY YOU GO BACK TO RICK WARE AND WORK ON CARS? “Yes, absolutely. It is that and it’s been like that for six weeks. With all the media and all of you guys have been super awesome to work with. We’ve talked about this for six months under the radar and behind the scenes when Rick knew that this deal was coming and he wanted me to run it, and I tell you the coolest thing was they wrapped the car Sunday to surprise me when I went to work on Monday and when you walk in and flip the lights on and you see that thing sitting there, it was like super emotional. And then to get to bring my family down and have the modified there to unveil it and have our sponsors there and my wife and kids, it is super special. And then I woke up this morning. I texted Todd. I woke up with the biggest smile on my face this morning and was such at peace with the Lord that I’m so blessed to be here and I’m gonna enjoy every moment of it, and I hope we put that thing up front and make a show out of it.”
DID YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR LINE AT ALL IN THE MODIFIED AND DO YOU EXPECT TO? “No, we didn’t really have to change the line, it just looks different because the SAFER barrier stands 90 and the old guard rail kind of laid over. It just looks way different, but as far as changing the line, no.”
HAVE YOU AND BURT EVER FOUGHT? “Not like physically. We’ve fought with our cars a few times.”
EVEN AS KIDS PLAYING? “I don’t remember back then. I’ve been knocked out a few times, so I don’t remember that.”
HAVE YOU HAD ANY TRAINING OR SIMULATOR WORK, OR ARE YOU JUST RELYING ON YOUR MODIFIED EXPERIENCE? “Ford was gracious enough to give us a lot of sim time leading up to this race and I got to spend some time in there. I’m gonna be honest with you, I don’t know if it helped because I’ve not driven a Cup car yet, so it’s weird to see how that’s gonna correlate. If it correlates well, we should be fine because I did pretty good in there after I got used to not getting sick in it.”
DID IT TAKE YOU LONG TO ADAPT TO THE SIM? “It’s really funny. When I walked into the Ford Performance Center, there’s a room full of people and they’re all laughing. I’m like, ‘What did I do?’ And they’re like, ‘We’ll just see how long it takes you to get sick,’ and it was like 15 seconds. I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of this thing,’ so they gave me some Dramamine and the bracelets and all that stuff, but after the fourth trip to the simulator I was fine. I asked them, what’s the ticket here? What do you have to do? They said, ‘Be born after 1995.’”
