[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]The No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet finished seventh
RICHMOND, Va. (April 30, 2012) – Ryan Blaney made his NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) debut under the lights Friday at Richmond International Raceway, earning a seventh-place finish in the No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing. The 18-year-old driver qualified the No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet eighth for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250.
After a solid qualifying effort, Blaney lined up to take the green flag from the eighth position. He raced in the top-10 until the first caution period called for debris on the racetrack on lap 25. Crew Chief Brad Parrott elected to stay out, and the SealWrap Chevrolet restarted eighth. Blaney, posted lap times as fast as the leader and drove into the top-five by lap 45. He passed Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the fourth spot just 10 laps later.
On lap 69, J.J. Yeley hit the wall in turn four and brought out the caution. Parrott called his driver down pit road for his first NASCAR pit stop. Blaney hit his marks, and the team got to work on a four-tire pit stop with no changes. An issue with the top of the fuel can held up the stop, and the No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet returned to the field in the 12th position.
The 43-car field restarted on lap 76. Blaney fell to the 14th position by lap 83 but worked back up to the 12th spot by lap 96. The High Point, N.C., resident radioed that the car was a little tighter on this run. On lap 116, the No. 81 spun and brought out the caution with the TBR Chevrolet in the 11th position. Blaney told the SealWrap crew that the Chevrolet was a little bit free later in the run.
Parrott called Blaney down pit road for another four-tire pit stop with an air pressure and wedge adjustment. The No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet restarted in the 13th position on lap 125 and worked to the 11th spot by lap 150. Blaney radioed that the car felt tighter, but once he reached the 10th position on lap 154, he told the crew the car drove well in clean air.
By lap 183, he was the fastest car on the track and drove in the eighth position. The rookie continued posting the fastest speeds as he drove into seventh on lap 191. By lap 200, green-flag pit stops began with Blaney in the fifth spot. On lap 206, Parrott called his young driver down pit road for his first green-flag pit stop for four tires and fuel.
Blaney returned to the track in the 11th position, one lap down, as the field continued to make pit stops. By lap 217, the field completed green-flag pit stops, and the No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet returned to the lead lap in the 10th position. Blaney radioed that the car was loose, and Spotter Tommy Baldwin advised to turn the brake fans off to get more heat in the tires. The change did the trick as Blaney began his final trek through the field.
As the laps ticked down, Blaney drove into the seventh position, where he would remain until the checkered flag dropped.
“I had a lot of fun out there,” said Blaney. “The finish exceeded my expectations. I appreciate how everyone drove around me. They showed me a lot of respect as a rookie. Our car was really good, and we were much better on long runs. We lost a little time on pit road but made it up on the track. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the seat at Darlington. This has been a dream come true thanks to SealWrap, Heavy Duty and Tommy Baldwin Racing.”
Blaney will return to the No. 36 SealWrap Chevrolet May 11at Darlington Raceway. He will compete in the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200, his second NNS race. ###
About SealWrap:
SealWrap is a great product that everyone can use. SealWrap is a repair tape that you just stretch-and- wrap around whatever you need- no adhesives or glues are needed!
The secret is SealWrap’s ability to fuse to itself. That means there are no bonding agents, adhesives or glues to make it work. It simply fuses to itself and won’t let go! Repairing irregular forms and shapes can now be handled easily. Simply STRETCH-N-WRAP!
SealWrap’s tape works in all types of weather conditions – from -55 degrees Fahrenheit to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, water tight and air tight to 100 psi of pressure. This 30 mil. tape will insulate 600 volts per mil. and can be stretched to three times its original length. In addition, the elements of weather will not affect it, allowing it to be a long lasting repair.
Visit www.sealwrap.com for more details.
About Tommy Baldwin Racing:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in 2009. Baldwin utilized a declining economy to open a NSCS team with a stringent budget. The team worked to build to full-time competition, and by the 2011 season, the team’s third season, TBR competed in every race and locked the No. 36 Chevrolet in the top-35 in NSCS Owner Points. Dave Blaney drove the No. 36 Chevrolet to TBR’s highest finish of third in the October 2011 event at Talladega Superspeedway. TBR also fielded a second car for select races in the past two seasons with multiple drivers.
Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the NSCS in 2012 with NASCAR veterans David Reutimann and Dave Blaney. The team will also compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Ryan Blaney, Bobby Santos and Ryan Truex.
