Ryan Blaney has a race to win Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, but the Team Penske driver is already turning heads for something that has absolutely nothing to do with his No. 12 Ford.
And judging by the reaction, NASCAR fans are ready to open their wallets.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Team Penske gave fans a sneak peek at an upcoming merchandise release, sharing photos of Blaney modeling a retro-inspired Starter jacket. The black pullover features bold red and white panels, Team Penske branding across the front and a Starter logo on the zipper.
It’s a throwback look that wouldn’t have been out of place in a NASCAR garage three decades ago. And it didn’t take long for fans to notice.
“Bringing the heat,” Team Penske wrote on X.
“New merch dropping soon. 👀”
New merch dropping soon. 👀
#starterofficial
The team didn’t announce a release date or pricing, but that hardly stopped fans from making their feelings known.
NASCAR Fans Are Already Asking for Ryan Blaney’s New Jacket
The reaction to Penske’s announcement was immediate, with fans flooding the comments to praise the design and ask when they could get their hands on one.
“Yo! Im not a Team Penske guy buttttt…… this is fire. I would rock it. 90s!” one fan wrote.
Another kept things considerably shorter: “TAKE MY MONEY.”
Others wanted to know whether Penske had plans to expand the collection.
“Can we get a Ryan Blaney specific one?!” one fan asked.
One commenter even brought Team Penske’s biggest Cup Series rival into the conversation, writing, “@TeamHendrick get yo clothing game up, competition is up right now.”
For a merchandise announcement that offered little more than a few photos and a promise that something was coming, the response was hard to miss.
Ryan Blaney Brings Some Throwback Style to Phoenix
The timing couldn’t be better for Blaney, who enters Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway with plenty of attention already on him.
The 2023 Cup Series champion earned the pole position Saturday, putting his No. 12 Team Penske Ford at the front of the field for Sunday’s race. Teammate Joey Logano qualified second, giving Penske a sweep of the front row.
Now Blaney has an opportunity to turn a strong qualifying performance into a victory.
But before the green flag drops, his latest appearance has given NASCAR fans something else to talk about.
The Starter jacket taps into a style longtime racing fans know well, with bold colors, oversized branding and a distinctly 1990s feel.
Whether Team Penske has additional designs planned remains to be seen. For now, the team has only teased the upcoming release.
If the early reactions are any indication, though, Penske shouldn’t have much trouble finding people eager to buy one.
Ryan Blaney’s New Look Has NASCAR Fans Losing Their Minds