Persistent rain greeted drivers, crews and fans on Bank of America 500 race day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but Ryan Blaney didn’t mind—because the rain hadn’t come two days earlier when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series held its qualifying session.
Because the Wood Brothers Racing team that fields the Fords for Blaney run a limited schedule, the 21-year-old driver has missed three races this season, most recently at Chicagoland Speedway, when rain washed out time trials. But on Thursday, well before the rain arrived, Blaney qualified 16th for Saturday night’s race (on NBC at 7 p.m. ET).
“After Chicago, it’s good to at least know we’ll be driving on race day,” Blaney said. “We had an extra lap on the tires (during the first round of knockout qualifying), and that didn’t really help.
“We just didn’t get enough there at the end to try to get in the top 12, but it’s going to be nice to be racing (at Charlotte) on Saturday night and be part of the show.”
- Tyler Reddick takes checkered in wild Talladega finish for Michael Jordan’s first win while in attendance - April 22, 2024
- McDowell captures pole for Sunday’s race at Talladega - April 20, 2024
- NASCAR WIRE: Weekend Preview: Talladega Superspeedway - April 18, 2024