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The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang is about to take on a new challenger. Ryan Blaney will compete with his father, Dave Blaney, in the Superstar Racing Experience.
The SRX series announced the news on March 7, confirming that the two NASCAR drivers will climb into a different style of vehicle for their battle on the track. They will head to Sharon Speedway (Ohio) on July 23 to cap off the SRX series season.
The two members of the Blaney family will join a stacked list of former NASCAR Cup Series competitors that also includes Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Tony Stewart among many others. This track will also be familiar territory for the elder Blaney. Per Racing America, he is the co-owner of the speedway in Ohio. He also won a World of Outlaws event at the 3/8-mile dirt track.
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Along with the NASCAR drivers, there will also be a large contingent of IndyCar drivers. Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and Josef Newgarden will all run part-time campaigns while Paul Tracy, Marco Andretti, and Ryan Hunter-Reay will all have full-time schedules.
The 2 Drivers Had Some Career Overlap
The SRX series race at Sharon Speedway will provide a unique opportunity to the two NASCAR drivers. They will be able to face off on the race track while battling for a spot on the podium.
They nearly faced off during the 2014 Cup Series season when the younger Blaney was running a part-time schedule for Team Penske. He made starts at Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
Dave, for comparison, made seven starts during the 2014 season, split between the No. 77 and No. 37 entries. He competed at Texas Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway (twice), Michigan International Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Dave also attempted to qualify for the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in the No. 77 Ford. However, he did not make the final starting grid and did not face off with his son.
While he failed to qualify for the Cup Series race in 2013, Dave did compete in a Truck Series race against his son during the 2013 season. They both made starts for Brad Keselowski Racing at Eldora Speedway and completed all 153 laps. Dave finished ninth while the younger Blaney ended the day 15th overall.
SRX Previously Showcased Another Father-Son Duo
The first season of the Superstar Racing Experience featured multiple high-profile drivers each week, a list that ranged from Willy T. Ribbs and Waltrip to Kanaan and Castroneves. However, the series capped off its year with a memorable battle between two Cup Series champions.
The final race of the SRX season took place at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on July 17, 2021. 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott made his sixth start of the year in the series, and he faced off with his son, Chase Elliott, as part of a stacked lineup.
The elder Elliott secured bragging rights first by holding off Chase in the first of two heat races. He then finished sixth in the second heat race while Chase finished eighth. However, the 2020 Cup Series champion had the last laugh as he won the feature race. Series champion Tony Stewart took second while Elliott finished third.
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