Ryan Blaney Secures Massive NASCAR Contract Extension

The driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang is not going anywhere. Team Penske has announced a massive contract extension for Ryan Blaney that will keep him a part of the Cup Series organization for the foreseeable future.

Team Penske announced the news on August 17. The team did not provide any specific details about the length of the contract. Instead, Team Penske noted that this is a “long-term” extension that will provide Blaney with the opportunity to build upon his past success “well into the future.”

“Ryan has become one of the top competitors in the NASCAR Cup Series and we are excited for him to continue his career and build on his success with Team Penske,” said team owner Roger Penske. “He has been a key part of our team for more than a decade and we have seen him grow and develop, both on and off the track.

“He has become a consistent winner behind the wheel of the No. 12 Ford, and he also does a great job representing our team partners. We look forward to what the future holds with Ryan and Team Penske.”

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Blaney Has Several Wins in Multiple Series

The North Carolina native originally joined Team Penske during the 2012 Xfinity Series season. He ran a part-time schedule for the team through 2015 while winning a combined four races. Blaney also made his debut in the Cup Series with part-time runs in 2014 and 2015.

Blaney then moved up to the Cup Series in 2016 with the Team Penske-affiliated Wood Brothers Racing. He has competed in the Cup Series full-time ever since, which includes a move over to Team Penske in 2018. Blaney has registered seven career points-paying wins, as well as the 2022 All-Star Race.

Blaney, who also ran two full-time seasons with Brad Keselowski Racing, has 14 combined wins across the Xfinity Series and Cup Series. This includes a career-high three Cup Series wins in 2021 when he went back-to-back at Michigan and Daytona to cap off the regular season before finishing seventh overall in the championship standings.

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Blaney Continues the Pursuit of His First Win in 2022

The 2022 season has been interesting for Blaney and the No. 12 team. He has been one of the most consistent drivers in the Cup Series, to the point that he sits second overall in the championship standings. He also won the first All-Star Race of his career.

The one thing missing from Blaney’s 2022 resume is a points-paying win. He is second in points, but he is only 16th in the playoff standings considering that he is the highest-ranked driver without a win. He holds the final transfer spot, but he could lose this if another new winner captures the race at Watkins Glen or the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

Blaney will continue his pursuit of this win and attempt to add even more playoff points to his total. He can now do so with the knowledge that he will have a secure seat at a championship-winning organization for years to come, which should only provide more confidence.

“Team Penske has been family to me for 10 years, so I’m incredibly excited to continue with this family for the future,” Blaney added in the press release. “Roger Penske is a legend in our sport, and I’ve always said getting to drive for him is something everyone dreams of doing.

“On top of that, we’ve got a great group of partners with Menards, Advance Auto Parts, BODYARMOR, Wurth, Discount Tire, Dent Wizard, Wabash and Ford that have shown a lot of faith in me. I look forward to continuing to win for Team Penske, Roger and all of our partners, as we work towards our goal of winning a Cup Series championship.”

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