No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger Preview - Homestead

November 13, 2012


Ryan Blaney
No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger
Ford EcoBoost 300
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Saturday, November 17, 2012
TV: ESPN2 4:00 pm ET Radio: MRN/Sirius 90

No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger News and Notes
This Week's Challenger... Ryan Blaney and the Penske Racing Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team will use chassis PRS-233 during Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Ford Ecoboost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This chassis previously raced at Kentucky where Ryan Blaney recorded a ninth-place finish in September.
The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in 2012... After 32 points-paying events, the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge is currently ranked sixth in the NNS owner point standings following a ninth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway last weekend with Brad Keselowski behind the wheel.
New face of Penske Racing... This weekend will mark Blaney's seventh race competing in the No. 22 Dodge Challenger with Penske Racing. He's earned top-10 results at Iowa, Richmond and Kentucky, as well as a second-place finish at Texas to mark his best effort of the season for the team. Blaney comes from a long line of racing heritage, following in the footsteps of his father, Dave Blaney, the former World of Outlaws champion and current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Blaney has been hailed as one of NASCAR's most promising young talents and he is a welcome addition to the Penske Racing lineup.
A Family Tradition... The history behind the No. 22 is deeply rooted within the Blaney family. Not many father-son duos can say that they have raced the same car number, but Dave and Ryan Blaney now share that tradition. Dave made a record 104 starts in the No. 22 under Bill Davis Racing before Penske Racing acquired the number at the end of the 2009 season. This weekend Ryan will continue to add to the family tradition and proudly carry on the history of the No. 22 entry.
First Time for Everything... With a total of 29 NASCAR series career starts, Blaney has yet to compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the 2012 season, Blaney has produced a total of 16 top-15 starts and 19 top-15 finishes in 26 combined races across various NASCAR racing series.
Double-Duty Weekend.... Blaney will also make his first Homestead-Miami Speedway start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday evening. Driving the No. 29 Cooper Standard Dodge RAM for Brad Keselowski Racing - the team owned by his Penske Racing teammate - Blaney looks to continue his strong 2012 momentum by attempting to capture his second Truck Series win of the season.
#PenskePride...Penske Racing is asking fans to show their Penske Pride through a unique social media contest that will last for the balance of the 2012 season. Through the #PenskePride contest, each race weekend fans will Tweet @PenskeRacing pictures showing their support of the Penske Racing organization, their favorite Penske Racing driver(s) or teams in unique and creative ways, using the hashtag #PenskePride. The best weekly photo will be named Fan Photo of the Week. At the end of each month, a Fan Photo of the Month will be selected from the weekly winners. The best monthly photos will be voted on by @PenskeRacing followers to be named Fan Photo of the Year. The winner of Photo of the Year will receive the Ultimate Penske Racing Fan Experience including tickets and hot passes to the 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race, autographed items and a tour of the Penske Racing facility with a Penske driver.

Ryan Blaney on competing in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway
"The 2012 season has definitely been a memorable one. I can't thank the group at Penske Racing enough for giving me this opportunity to get behind the wheel of the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger. We have had a great season and I look forward to continuing our momentum going into Homestead this weekend. We had a great run at Texas two weeks ago and brought home a second-place finish. I hope to end the 2012 season on a high note and bring home another trophy to add to the Penske Racing collection."

Crew chief Jeremy Bullins on the last race of the 2012 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway
"It is hard to believe that we are going to the final race of the 2012 season with the Discount Tire Dodge Challenger. It has been an amazing season with some great wins and great finishes. We look forward to ending the season on a high note and even capturing another win. Ryan (Blaney) has shown a lot of maturity the last couple of months and coming off of our second-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, we know that if things go our way we can get that win. We're taking a great car, a great engine and pulling out all the stops with weekend with only one goal in mind, to finish the season with a trophy."