No.21 Team Continues to Fine-Tune New Aero Package at Las Vegas

The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Team, like the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup field, will continue to fine-tune the series’ new aerodynamics package when it unloads at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the Kobalt 400.

 

At the same time, driver Ryan Blaney, crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the rest of the Wood Brothers Racing Team are rebounding from a last-lap crash in Atlanta that spoiled a potential top 15 finish for the red-and-white No. 21 Ford Fusion.

 

“Any time you have a significant aero change it changes some of your setup parameters,” Bullins explained. “But we use the tools we have to create an offset from prior setups and that gives us a baseline setup to begin practice with. Fortunately we also have some extra practice time this week and we have a long list of items to evaluate.”

 

Once the race begins, the differences between the Atlanta and Las Vegas intermediate tracks will become more apparent.

 

“Atlanta gives you a good idea of where your intermediate cars are against the field, but the races at Atlanta and Vegas are quite different,” Bullins said. “Atlanta is a four-tire strategy race all day and you have to do your passing on the track. Vegas may create scenarios where two-tire or fuel-only strategies come into play that allow you to gain track position on pit road.

 

“The tire-wear rates are much higher at Atlanta than Vegas, and that also changes some of the setup variables as well as the strategy options,” Bullins said.

 

With improved tire wear at Las Vegas comes potentially longer periods of comfort behind the wheel for rookie driver Blaney.

 

“Tire wear isn’t nearly as bad at Vegas so tire management is easier,” Blaney said. “It’s going to be different on long runs for sure.

 

“It’s just about finding balance with this new package,” he continued. “It’s still very early and things can be improved massively.”

 

Last year in Las Vegas, determined pit work and steady driving by Blaney put the No. 21 into the top 20 for the first time in the 2015 season with a 19th-place finish after starting in 30th.

 

“Some confidence is carried over from last year, but this package is so different it’s hard to rely too much on 2015,” Blaney noted.

Practice sessions for Kobalt 400 qualifying begin at 1:30 p.m. ET on March 4 and can be seen live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Qualifying will take place at 7:45 p.m. ET on March 4 and will be broadcast live on FS1. The practice sessions for the race will be shown on FS1 at 11:30 a.m. ET and 2:30 p.m. ET on March 5. The Kobalt 400 begins on FOX at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Ford Performance PR