“They Were Really Upset”: Ryan Blaney Fully Behind NASCAR Cup Series Foray Into Iowa

There may be questions raised by some over how the track might not be great for racing but no one is upset about NASCAR coming back to the Iowa Speedway. The response from fans and drivers has proven that it’s something the organizers could do every year. Ryan Blaney is one of those who are happy about coming to the Hawkeye State as he believes that race fans were hurt when the Xfinity and Truck races were taken away a few years ago.

“I think it’s great. I mean it’s…gosh, I have been wanting a Cup race here for a long time. I think they do a good job here, the fanbase here is very loyal to motorsports. I know they were really upset when Xfinity went away from here and Trucks and we lost them for a couple of years and they were upset. Just nice to come back,” he said in a media interaction.

The fan element of things obviously makes it a special experience for everybody but for Blaney, all that is secondary. The main thought on his mind would be how to convert his P2 starting position into a historic win at the Iowa Speedway. The defending Cup Series champion is yet to win a race so far this season and time’s running out.

Blaney has been successful at this track before with Team Penske. In 2015, he picked up an impressive Xfinity Series victory and will hope to repeat that feat on Sunday.

Ryan Blaney qualifies P2 but is wary of “unknowns”

Despite starting near the front of the pack, there are a lot of unknowns about the Iowa Speedway due to the repave. The defending Cup Series champion touched on that in the post-qualifying media interaction but was thankful that he had a well-positioned pit stall to help him during the event.

“Just unknowns, so it’s nice to get a good pit stall, qualifying up front and see the lead. It will be interesting to see where the track goes and how it progresses and moves around. I’m sure it will. We’ll just have to be ready for that,” he said.

The Team Penske star will hope to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions and want to challenge for the race win to seal his spot in the playoffs.