By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
Current NASCAR Cup Series points leader Ryan Blaney and driver of the No. 12 Ford has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with the Team Penske organization.
“Ryan is a true talent with a long runway ahead of him and we are excited to have him as a part of the future of Team Penske,” said Roger Penske.
“Since joining our team, Ryan has developed into a championship caliber driver and his personality and engagement with fans has made him a terrific ambassador for NASCAR. In addition, Ryan has done a great job of working with our partners to support their activation and investment throughout each year. I am looking forward to even more success together.”
Blaney first joined Team Penske at the young age of 18 when he competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the team. He went on to capture his first win in NXS competition at Kentucky Speedway in 2013.
In 2017 at Pocono Raceway, he won his first NASCAR Cup Series race while racing for the legendary Wood Brothers prior to joining Team Penske full-time for the 2018 season.
“I’ve always said, it’s been a lifelong dream to be able to drive a race car for Roger Penske,” said Blaney. “I am proud of what we have accomplished with the No. 12 Team Penske Ford and our ability to represent great brands like Menards, Advance Auto Parts, DEX Imaging and BODYARMOR. It’s really exciting to know I will continue to drive for this organization in 2021 and beyond. I am fortunate to be surrounded by extremely talented people throughout the organization and have no doubt we will continue to compete for wins and championships well into the future.”
Heading into this weekends FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway, Blaney leads the NASCAR Cup Series points standings and has been a contender to win in all three events so far this season, including a second-place finish in the DAYTONA 500.
In 165 Cup Series starts, Blaney has six poles, three wins, 28 top-five, and 60 top-10 finishes.
Blaney’s last win came at Talladega Superspeedway last fall.
