Blaney hangs on to earn 1st Cup win
NASCAR’s next generation has become the now generation.
Ryan Blaney became the third driver to score his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win this season, with a historic and popular victory Sunday at Pocono Raceway.
Blaney joins Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won at Talladega Superspeedway, and Austin Dillon, who won at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as playoff contenders for the first time, leading a young cadre of drivers who are challenging — and beating — the series’ established veterans.
“It’s a huge year for us young guys,” Blaney said. “It’s nice to be part of this younger group of drivers. I think we are all coming into our own right now. I was pretty jealous of Austin and Ricky getting into victory lane, and now I can add my name to the group.”
In holding off 2014 series champion Kevin Harvick, Blaney took the Wood Brothers back to victory lane for the first time since Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500. The iconic team, founded by Glen and Leonard Wood in 1950, has won at least one race in each of the last six decades. Blaney’s victory was the 99th for the team.
Blaney was swarmed in victory lane by good friend Darrell Wallace Jr. and 2012 series champion and Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski. The Wood Brothers are considered a satellite team of Penske.
Blaney interviewed Pocono Xfinity Series winner Keselowski in victory lane Saturday as part of an all-driver broadcast by Fox. Keselowski, who finished fifth Sunday, returned the favor by sticking around victory lane to interview Blaney.
Like Dillon, Blaney comes from a racing family. The 23year-old is the son of Dave Blaney, who competed for parts of 17 seasons in the Cup series.
Ryan Blaney put the series on notice last season, when he scored nine top-10 finishes as a rookie.
With one of the fastest cars in the first 14 races of 2017, it appeared only a matter of time that Blaney would take the checkered flag.
That he was able to hold off Harvick — who has been nicknamed The Closer — in the final 10 laps says as much about his natural talent as his mental toughness. Blaney spent most of the event without a working team radio.
Harvick stalked Blaney on every turn at the 2.5-mile Tricky Triangle but could not get to his bumper to set up a pass.
“We got the track position we needed at the end, but I couldn’t charge the corner and get to his back bumper,” Harvick said. “I never could get close enough to put a ton of pressure on him. He did a great job and never missed his mark.”