A classic is getting ready to reveal itself this weekend, and it’s bringing along with it something new and exciting.
20-year-old Ryan Blaney will be reviving the old Penske Racing #12 car this Saturday night in the 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway, and will be making his Sprint Cup debut as well, driving with SKF sponsorship. He is also scheduled to make a second Cup start in the fall at Talladega.
Blaney — the son of sprint car legend and NASCAR driver Dave Blaney — is part of a rising generation of young up-and-coming stock car superstars, a group that includes names like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Darrell Wallace Jr., Ty Dillon and James Buescher. As the talent pipe continues to send along young drivers hoping to catch their big break on the national racing scene, it can be difficult to really stand out and impress car owners.
However, Blaney hasn’t had any trouble at all with that.
The kid already owns a Nationwide series victory and two Camping World Truck series wins, including his inaugural triumph in his third career series start at Iowa in 2012, which made him the youngest-ever driver to win a Truck race at 18 years and 259 days.
In November 2011, Blaney took the victory in his lone career K&N Pro Series West start, beating out names like Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott at Phoenix International Raceway. All this while he was busy winning the 2011 PASS South Super Late Model Championship.
When car owners like Roger Penske hire you, it usually means you’ve done something to impress the masses. Penske has a history of hiring rising talents, drivers such as Ryan Newman, Jeremy Mayfield, Justin Allgaier and Parker Kligerman in NASCAR, and Rick Mears, Tom Sneva, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power in the IndyCar series.
In addition to Blaney’s early NASCAR success, he also impresses off the track, showcased by a veteran approach to racing that belies his experience in the sport. Speaking to him, you would think you’re talking to his father — calm, cool, collected and undaunted by the task of competing against some of the superstars of the sport.
For example, in Blaney’s second career Nationwide start, the 2012 May race at Darlington, the kid lost control and hit the wall on lap two of the 147-lap event. In his interview following the incident, he immediately took the blame and apologized profusely for his shortcomings. If you remember that race, then you’ll remember that interview, because he owned up to his mistake.
That is how much this business means to him.
Now, just two years later, he is getting the opportunity to qualify for his first Cup race, and he is heading into it with the Penske powerhouse that has qualified on the front row nine times in 2014.
Now, Blaney is the only entry this weekend that needs to qualify on speed, since the 12 car has no current owner points, and Blaney does not carry a regular provisional, but with speed like the Penske team has shown this year, perhaps Blaney will not have to be worried about missing the show.
The 12 car has won in the Cup series at Kansas previously — in 2003 with Newman behind the wheel — but since Newman left the team after the 2008 season, it has taken on the status of a “red-headed stepchild” team (like the former 25 car at Hendrick Motorsports).
Also of note, Blaney’s first NASCAR victory (his aforementioned Truck win at Iowa in 2012) came exactly 10 years after Newman’s inaugural Cup win at Loudon, New Hampshire. Is Blaney is destined to become the successor to the 12 car?
Perhaps Blaney represents the rejuvenation of the 12 team at Penske Racing and brings it back to prominence.
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