Ryan Blaney credits No. 12 team after winning EchoPark pole
Ryan Blaney jokes about the driver's role in qualifying before crediting his No. 12 Team Penske crew after winning the pole at EchoPark Speedway.
Video Transcript
Five wins at drafting tracks for Ryan Blaney will start up front in this race, and I think the debate all, all qualifying long has been if the car is fast, how does it race?
What do you think?
Yeah, that's always the big debate.
You know, how is it going to react tomorrow in the race, in traffic, as the track changes, as you get laps on tires.
So all that stuff, you know, you, you hope you have a decent handle on, but, you know, goal for today was to try to, you know, qualify the best we could and, and we were able to do that.
So appreciate everyone on this 12 car, for bringing me a fast car.
It's great to have a Team Penske front row.
So that part's great.
And yeah, look forward to tomorrow, seeing what we got in the draft.
Hopefully we can hang in there and, and contend for the win.
So appreciate Body Armor, Flash IV for being on our car.
Appreciate Ford, Ford Racing for what they do, bringing, bringing some fast race cars.
Hopefully we can all find each other and contend for the win tomorrow night.
I mentioned how good you are on this type of track.
Third in points right now.
How much are you kind of looking at those guys in front of you and maybe thinking this ki- might be a chance for you kind of get closer?
I mean, I, I look at the points a little bit.
You know, those guys are still pretty far away from me, but there's a couple points battles between guys that are, you know, fourth, fifth in points to me that, you know, you kind of look at and try to beat.
But at the end of the day, if you go run well in the race and go to contend for a win, you're gonna have a good day on that side of it.
So I just try to think through, you know, all hundreds of miles of this place and, okay, how can it change what might needed to be asked of your car, of your- yourself as a driver?
How do you adjust to the racetrack and adjust to the draft as it's constantly changing during the race?
But, yeah, you do good in the race, you do good in points, so that's, that's really the only thing I'm trying to do.
A place like this, Atlanta, how much of the speed comes from the car and how much comes from the driver?
100% from the driver.
You hear that, Steve Letarte?
Or I'm just kidding.
100% from the car.
You know, especially qualifying.
I mean, I My job is, you know, hit my shift points right, and that's, that's it.
You're wide open for the rest of the lap.
And, so it's really a, a huge testament.
My, my guys, my 12 guys, they won this pole today.
I just got the luxury of driving a fast car and put up a good lap time.
And, now my job tomorrow's a little bit harder for sure once everything changes, but this is their pole today and I'm, I'm really proud of them for bringing a fast car.
Congratulations, Ryan.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
