After seeing a top-15 finish disappear with a last-lap crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, rookie Ryan Blaney rebounded with a sixth-place performance Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The result was Blaney’s best in his last 15 starts, dating back to last season.
“Just a strong day,’’ the Wood Brothers Racing driver said. “We didn’t quite have the balance right with two tires at the end. It was a little bit tighter than we needed to drive up through there.’’
Blaney called Sunday’s run “very significant. Especially after Atlanta last week, getting spun out on the last lap. Kind of got us down a lot. To come here and have a solid run all day really ups the spirits.
“This team is working very well together. We kind of had a trial run last year running part time. We brought in some new personnel this year. They’ve done a great job since Daytona.’’
Blaney’s finish also gave Ford three of the top six places Sunday with Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski winning and Joey Logano second.
“Both our organizations are working side‑by‑side,’’ Blaney said. “It definitely showed today. It’s a big, big accomplishment for the Wood Brothers team today and hopefully gives us some good momentum for Phoenix.”
Keselowski sees the progress Blaney, who drove for Keselowski in the Camping World Truck Series, is making.
Asked about any mentoring he’s doing with Blaney, Keselowski said: “He’s got the right people around him. He’s in a good spot. I don’t think he needs me. He just needs some time.’’