SPARTA, Ky., July 9, 2016 – A lap-87 crash that collected fellow rookie Chase Elliott sent a strong-running Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion to the garage early and to a 35th-place finish in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night.
Starting from the 15th position on the grid, Blaney moved into the top 10 before the end of the first lap and stayed with the leaders until he went sideways and backed into the wall.
“I got loose,” Blaney explained. “It’s unfortunate and we took the 24 out. Obviously, it’s not intentional and not what you want. We both had really good cars. You just get put in spots on re-starts that aren’t ideal and things like that happen, unfortunately.
“That restart was pretty hectic from the beginning with the 78 getting loose and it kind of put everybody in a bad spot, and it wound up with us being in the middle of three-wide into three,” he continued. “It’s so hard to get into that corner all night with a car close behind you and outside of you, and no one lifting either, and it’s just an unfortunate spot we got put in and I hate to see two really good cars tore up. We were both very fast tonight (24 and 21) and it’s just a really unfortunate deal.”
Blaney just missed being collected himself when Jimmie Johnson got loose and hit the wall on lap 32. Right before the wreck that took him out of contention, Blaney made contact with Cole Witt on pit road that caused damage to the right front of the Wood Brothers’ iconic No. 21.
“We were coming out and the 98 was coming in,” Blaney said. “Communication was off a little bit. That didn’t effect it at all.”
The Wood Brothers Racing Team got the car put back together and back on the track with 60 laps to go and got their rookie driver more experience on the newly re-paved Bluegrass State track and gathered some precious extra points by gaining two spots.
With that 35th-place result, Blaney moves down to 19th in the driver points standings before heading to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 17 at 1:30 p.m. EDT.
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 nearly 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.
