Partnering with his father, Dave Blaney, who is already one of Sharon Speedway’s three co-owners, Ryan Blaney has now stepped into a larger role at the 3/8-mile dirt oval in Hartford, Ohio, joining forces with local racer and businessman Will Thomas III. With his playoff berth secured, the Team Penske driver can now afford to shift some of his focus to shaping the future of his home track.
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Fresh off NASCAR’s landmark race weekend in Mexico, Blaney has his eyes set on dialing in improvements at Sharon Speedway, both for fans in the stands and racers on the track. While managing a racetrack from North Carolina might seem like a logistical nightmare, the 2023 Cup champion made it clear he’s not flying solo.
He emphasized having a strong team in place back in Ohio, handling day-to-day operations, while he serves as a strategic voice steering the broader vision.
Describing his involvement as big-picture planning, Blaney has previously highlighted his collaboration with Will Thomas, who remains boots-on-the-ground. But now, the No. 12 driver’s ambitions run deeper than just behind-the-scenes brainstorming.
Speaking on the Team Blaney Podcast with Adam Rogers and Steve Mezz, he explained, “I think the biggest things for me that I’m trying to wrap my arms around… is… number one, how do you make the fan experience even better than what it is?
“How do you make it affordable for people to come out and have a good time? And also, how do you get people to come out to your racetrack and compete?”
The 31-year-old is also looking to work toward the financial side. “And I think a big thing that I really want to do at that place — they race there weekly — is how do you raise purses to benefit people for coming and competing for a larger piece of the pot? That’s kind of the main couple of things on my mind is the fan experience and raising the purses for those events,” he continued.
Blaney also confirmed he plans to be on-site a few times this season, circling a marquee modified race in June as one he doesn’t intend to miss. Most importantly, he is excited to be an active part of a place that meant so much to his parents and grandparents.
