Ryan Blaney Iowa Post-Race Report

Ryan Blaney (@RyanBlaney22), driver of the Brad Keselowski Racing (@TeamBKR) No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150, made his second career start at Iowa Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) during Saturday night’s American Ethanol 200 Presented by Enogen after posting a sixth place qualifying effort earlier in the day.

Blaney got off to a solid start and maintained pace within the top 10 before the first caution of the night fell on lap 56 for debris in turn two. Crew chief, Doug Randolph, brought the Cooper Standard machine to pit road for fuel, four tires and four up on the track bar. Unfortunately, for Blaney, lug nuts fell off the right front upon exit and cost the Cooper Standard team 11 spots on pit road, restarting him in the 18^th position on lap 60.

Fluid on the track brought out the second caution on lap 113. Blaney was in the 10^th position, when Randolph called him back to pit road for fuel, four tires and four more up on the track bar after he had been complaining of being too loose in, tight in the middle and tight off exit. It was also a time for the Cooper Standard pit crew to check out the right front tire since Blaney had said earlier on the radio he thought it was about to go down. Blaney restarted in the 11^th position on lap 119.

Blaney’s night and hope of grabbing his second consecutive NCWTS win at Iowa came to an abrupt end on lap 191 when the No. 77 made contact with him in turn four. This run-in dropped Blaney off the lead lap and brought out the fifth caution.

After the team was able to tear away some sheet metal and repair the Cooper Standard F-150 back to driving capability, Blaney returned to the track and posted a 26^th place finish after having a Truck that ran in the top 10 most of the night.

The No. 29 BKR team currently sits sixth in the NCWTS driver points standings, 67 points back from first and 29 points back from second. 

“It was a very disappointing end to a solid night for the Cooper Standard team at Iowa. We had a decent Truck that could have finished inside the top 10, but instead we finished 26^th after some contact with the No. 77. All focus is on Eldora, which I cannot wait for, especially since I’m a teammate with my Dad.” – Ryan Blaney