Ryan Blaney signs “long-term agreement” with Penske

Longtime Team Penske member Ryan Blaney will not be going anywhere soon. On Wednesday, the team announced a “long-term agreement” has been reached to keep Blaney in the #12 Ford beyond the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Blaney has driven for Penske since 2012 in the now-Xfinity Series along with allies Wood Brothers Racing and Brad Keselowski Racing in the Cup and Camping World Truck Series. He made his Cup début in 2014 for Penske before joining WBR for a limited Cup slate in 2015, the latter coming after finishing runner-up in the Truck standings with BKR. In the Xfinity and Truck Series, he has eleven combined wins.

He was elevated to a full Cup slate for WBR in 2016 and won his maiden Cup race the following year en route to a ninth-place points finish. Penske created a permanent #12 car for Blaney to join in 2018, and he has made the playoffs every year since with six wins. Twenty-four races into the 2022 season, he is second in points; although he has yet to win a points race, he scored the All-Star Race victory in May.

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

“[…] 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.”

Specifics of the deal such as an expiration date were not disclosed. The same had occurred when he signed a “multi-year extension” in 2020. Nevertheless, the move means Team Penske has locked in their trio of drivers for 2023 as Joey Logano is contracted through the end of that year while Austin Cindric, whose deal runs through 2022, is almost guaranteed to stay as a rising star and whose father Tim is team president.

“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,” Penske added. “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 #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.”