Ryan Blaney Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor After an emotional rollercoaster of a ride to kick off the 2020 season in Daytona last weekend, the driver and teams in the NASCAR Cup Series will look to buckle down as they head into the West Coast swing and Sunday’s running of the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the first intermediate track of the season, the 1.5-mile track just north of Sin City will give us the first signs of which teams to look out for as the season progresses, especially withRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Two days removed from one of the most horrific crashes in NASCAR history, Ryan Newman continues showing improvement Wednesday. Roush Fenway Racing issued its latest statement on all social media platforms: “Ryan Newman continues to show great improvement after Monday night’s last-lap accident at Daytona International Speedway. “The veteran driver is fully alert and walking around Halifax Medical Center. True to his jovial nature, he has also been joking around with staff, friends and family while spending time playing with his two daughters.” Following their statement,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Ryan Newman is in serious condition and unspecified, but non-life threatening injuries while being treated at Halifax Medical Center. The update on Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 champion, came via Roush Fenway Racing. pic.twitter.com/RugPUdmpEk — Roush Fenway (@roushfenway) February 18, 2020   While battling for the win on the last lap of the 62nd Daytona 500, which was postponed to Monday due to weather, Newman was leading off of Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag when he was clipped by Ryan Blaney’s car. The incidentRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With the car of Ryan Newman sliding upside-down trailing sparks behind him, Denny Hamlin joined elite company on Monday night in the second-closest finish in Daytona 500 history. Hamlin beat Ryan Blaney to the finish line at Daytona International Speedway by .014 seconds, and while the driver of the No. 11 celebrated with a burnout on the infield grass, the emergency crew worked to extricate Newman from his No. 6 Ford, which came to rest on its roof at theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The tragic and untimely passing of Kobe Bryant and eight other people (Gianna Bryant, John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan) last month were among the subjects brought up in Wednesday’s Daytona 500 Media Day. Topics ranged from how the five-time NBA champion impacted their lives to their viewpoint on aviation. The most notable of the drivers was Ryan Blaney, who met and spoke to Bryant back in 2018. Blaney said that “The Black Mamba”Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson may be stepping away from full-time racing in the Cup Series at the end of the 2020 season, but one thing is for sure, the impact that the seven-time champion has had on the sport will live on long after he has taken his final checkered flag. As drivers circulated through Daytona 500 Media Day on Wednesday, many were asked about their favorite Jimmie Johnson memory and by the time all was said and done, it was clear that JohnsonRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Heading into the 2020 season, change is in the air throughout the NASCAR Cup Series garage. Team Penske in particular underwent a major shift over the offseason, with the organization moving crew chiefs around among its three teams. Ryan Blaney, the newest member of the Team Penske trio, inherits Todd Gordon as his crew chief for 2020 as both he and the No. 12 team look to take a leap forward. Since earning his first Cup Series win in 2017, the 26-yearRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The boys of NASCAR are back in full sound at Daytona International Speedway. Saturday saw a possible indication which cars look poised of capturing the Busch Pole Award for next Sunday’s 62nd Daytona 500 and who can work together in the draft, but as the saying goes – it’s too early to tell who’s the heavy favorite right now as Daytona is an ultimate crap shoot where anything can happen and it usually does. Before qualifying practice, there was one 50-minute sessionRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season for the full-time drivers in the series leading into February’s running of the Daytona 500. Age: 26 Years in Cup: Four Career Wins: Three Ryan Blaney is entering his third year with Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series, but it’s also his contract season and will have championship-winning crew chief Todd Gordon on top of the pit box. Similar to team rival Stewart-Haas Racing, the shuffle was done in the interest of establishingRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Team Penske announced Monday that the three drivers in its NASCAR Cup Series stable will have new crew chiefs atop the pit box when the green flag drops on the 2020 season at Daytona. All three crew chiefs, Jeremy Bullins, Todd Gordon, and Paul Wolfe had been with their current drivers for anywhere from six to 11 years, but will now have new relationships to form with different teams in the organization. Bullins will take over for Wolfe as crew chief of the No. 2Read More