wood brothers racing team Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega was déjà vu all over again for Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team. In a repeat of the race last Fall at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, DiBenedetto was leading on the final lap in overtime only to see another driver snatch victory from his grasp, leaving him wondering what else he could have done to turn the tide in his favor to finally break through and win a NASCAR Cup Series race. DiBenedetto was a constant fixture atRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer  An alternate strategy and Mother Nature proved to be the best-case scenario for Paul Menard. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver was up front when it counted in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Menard jumped to the front in the No. 21 Menard’s / Jack Links Ford Fusion when crew chief Greg Erwin called an audible. While the bulk of the field pitted midway into Stage 2, Menard stayed on track. He led a handful of laps before slipping backward andRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer In a Daytona 500 that turned into a game of ‘survival of the fittest,’ Paul Menard survived to finish inside the top-10. It was Menard’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race with the Wood Brothers Racing Team. His No. 21 Omnicraft Ford Fusion was up front for much of the 500 miles at Daytona International Speedway. On the final restart, Menard lined up in the back of the pack of cars that remained. He pushed Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace, Jr. forward as cars jockeyed for position.Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – The intensity ratchets up as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series edges closer to the season finale. One driver who has noticed the intensity is Ryan Blaney, who is in the Playoffs for the first time. Blaney advanced from the Round of 16 to the Round of 12 relatively quietly. His No. 21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Fusion never competed for a win in the Round of 16, but was easily consistent enough to earn enough pointsRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer Ryan Blaney’s quest to earn the Wood Brothers their 100th win was ended by fuel mileage, leaving him eighth. Blaney looked as if he could win in the late stages of the I LOVE New York 355 at Watkins Glen International. Blaney assumed the lead briefly as Brad Keselowski peeled off to pit with four laps to go. Already in fuel-saving mode, Blaney was left with a lead of several seconds over Martin Truex, Jr. However, it was not meant to be as his No.Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer It has been long rumored and is now official, Paul Menard will replace Ryan Blaney at the Wood Brothers in 2018. Menard, who is in his 11th full season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, will take his Menard’s sponsorship to the Team Penske alliance team. Menard’s will sponsor 22 races on the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Team Ford Fusion. Plans for long-time Wood Brothers partner Motorcraft / Quick Lane, along with additional sponsorship will be announced later. The Wood Brothers, the oldestRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Writer FORT WORTH, Texas — For the first 170 laps of Sunday’s 334 lap O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, it was all Ryan Blaney. The 23-year old driver for the Wood Brothers Racing Team had led 148 laps — the first time that the No. 21 team has led more than 100 laps in an event since October of 1982 — But a caution near the end of Stage 2 set up a disappointing conclusion to the race for Blaney. While Blaney optedRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for 24 drivers. We will release one driver preview per day over a 24-day stretch. Age: 23 Years in Cup: 1 Career Wins: 0 Biggest Accomplishment: Led 252 laps en route to winning Xfinity Race at Iowa in 2015 Ryan Blaney flashed signs of brilliance throughout his rookie campaign in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but overall his first year was wildly inconsistent. Blaney’s best finish on the season was fourth,Read More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Deep down you can feel a shift of power occurring among the manufacturers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ranks. Chevrolet has long had it’s foot on the throat of the competition, but weeks ago, one of the manufacturer’s strongest teams, Stewart-Haas Racing, announced that they are jumping ship after the 2016 season. But what kind of an impact will Stewart-Haas have on Ford’s attempt at catching Chevrolet as the Series’ top car brand? Ryan Blaney, who drives a Ford for the iconic Wood Brothers RacingRead More