Overtime Crash Spoils Top-15 Run For Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion team came about a mile shy of completing a successful first run of the season under NASCAR’s new lower-downforce rules package.

In Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Blaney started 23rd, quickly raced his way into the top 15 and essentially stayed there throughout the race, that ran with just a single caution until there were just two laps remaining.

That set up an overtime finish. Blaney lined up 14th, but on the backstretch, he was collected in a crash that dropped him to 25th at the finish.

“We were going to run 13th to 15th, which would have been an OK day,” Blaney said. “I didn’t know what happened initially, but I guess the 43 [Aric Almirola] got a big run off the top, and I was inside the 14 [Ty Dillon] and got tagged in the back”
 
“Unfortunately, that sent me around, which kind of stinks. We were just trying to salvage a decent day out of it, and it just stinks to run all those laps and then get wrecked at the end of a race.”
 
Team co-owner Eddie Wood agreed with Blaney that the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team had a strong outing right up to the finish.
 
“We had all those long, green-flag runs and were still able to run in the top 15 and even higher at times,” he said. “That says a lot for a young team just starting out in its first full season.”
 
“Ryan did a great job behind the wheel. [Crew chief] Jeremy Bullins had the right pit strategy all day, and the pit crew was superb. We gained spots on every green-flag stop. You can’t do anything about crashing on a late-race restart like that.”
 
Blaney said he too is pleased with the team’s performance and anxious to get back on track next weekend in Las Vegas.
 
“There are some things we can learn for Vegas next week, and we’re excited to bounce back there,” he said, adding that the track conditions at Las Vegas should be more favorable than the worn asphalt at Atlanta. “Vegas is going to be a whole different deal next week. The tires don’t fall off as much, so we’ll see how it is there, but I think it’s a good direction.” 
 
“I felt like we could pass cars a little bit easier with this package, and I think it’s the right way to go.”
 
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will be back on track Thursday for a day of testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then again on Friday for practice and qualifying for Sunday’s Kobalt 400.

Wood Brothers Racing PR