Ryan Blaney Pocono Post-Race Report

Ryan Blaney (@RyanBlaney22), driver of the No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150, made his first career start at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) during Saturday afternoon’s Pocono Mountains 125. After a rained-out morning qualifying session, Blaney started the race in the sixth position, which was determined based off Friday’s final practice session.

After running in the second position behind his BKR (@TeamBKR) teammate, Ross Chastain, from lap three to lap 10, Blaney finally made a move to the bottom of the racetrack and set his sights on the lead.

Blaney went on to lead every lap before crew chief, Doug Randolph, brought the No. 29 Cooper Standard F-150 to pit road under green on lap 26 for fuel and four tires – dropping only one spot to the No. 30 Truck, post-pit stops.  

A much needed debris caution fell on lap 43, with Blaney stalking the first and second positions during the second long-run of the afternoon. Once the green fell again on lap 46, Blaney had charged his way to the lead before the conclusion of the lap.

An accident involving the No. 30 and No. 31 Trucks brought out the third caution of the race on lap 48, setting up a green-white-checkered, with Blaney and his Cooper Standard Ford sitting in the lead position.

Before the field could make it around to the white flag, there was another incident, this time involving the No. 3, the No. 28 and the No. 98, which set the field up for a second chance at a green-white-checkered.

Blaney started on the outside of the No. 77 on the final restart and never looked back. He went on to win his second career NCWTS race and second for BKR in 20 starts at the age of 19, while also getting Ford back to the Truck Series victory lane for the first time since 2009 at Michigan.

The No. 29 Cooper Standard team currently sits third in the NCWTS driver points standings, 62 points back from first and just 10 points back from second.