Consistency Earns Ryan Blaney Runner-Up Position in the 2009 PASS South Super Late Model Series Championship Standings
14-Year-Old Racer Celebrates Rookie of the Year Honors in First Season of Super Late Model Competition
After taking a three-race spin in the PASS South Super Late Model Series in 2008, 14-year-old North Carolina racer Ryan Blaney, son of NASCAR driver Dave Blaney, headed into the 2009 season looking to make a statement that the former Quarter Midget and Legends Car racer is ready for the next step in his racing career. After a 14-race PASS South season schedule, Blaney not only made his mark on the series, but was in contention to win multiple events, eventually claiming second in the championship points and winning the series’ Rookie of the Year honors.
Blaney’s 2009 Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South season started at the newly-reopened Dillon Motor Speedway (SC) in March, where he finished an impressive third behind Ben Rowe and Justin Wakefield, two series regulars. He then headed to the famed Hickory Motor Speedway (NC), finishing fourth in the Easter Bunny 150 event behind Rowe, Jeff Fultz and NASCAR driver Aric Almirola in April. A third-place finish at Orange County Speedway (NC) a few weeks later moved Blaney to second in the championship points behind Rowe, a four-time PASS Super Late Model champion.
While Blaney missed putting his #10 Super Late Model into victory lane during the season, it wasn’t by much, as he was a threat to win every time he unloaded his car. During the 14-race season, Blaney finished outside the top 10 only two times in one of the toughest Super Late Model series in the country. That consistency earned him second to Rowe in the championship standings after the final race of the season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway (SC).
“That is a really big deal,” said Blaney. “Ben is a really good guy and knows what he is doing. I think I just need to get a little more experience, and I will have something for him next year.”
By ending up second in the PASS South standings in just his first full season of Super Late Model competition, Blaney earned the Rookie of the Year title in the series.
“It is a good thing,” explained Blaney. “I am not sure who else was a rookie this year, but it is pretty good getting the Rookie of the Year honors in PASS South this year. I am happy about that and hopefully next year we can come back and do better.”
The transition from Quarter Midget and Legends Car racing is not an easy feat for anyone, but this season, Blaney caught the attention of many drivers with his quick adaptability to the larger, heavier cars.
“Everyone has come up to me and told me I have done a great job,” said Blaney. “They said I took on to this pretty quickly, and I feel I have learned what to do, and my dad has been a big help with that. I think I will just keep getting better and better.”
Even though the finish in the final race of the PASS South season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway on October 24th didn’t quite go as planned for Blaney, as he had handling issues - finishing 12th, he is confident going into his final two events of the racing season, outside of the PASS South Series.
“We were way too tight in the center and didn’t have the drive off,” said Blaney. “Hopefully we can get better for the rest of the races we are running this year.
“We are going to run the Snowflake at Pensacola (Florida) and the Concord (NC) race. We raced the Snowflake last year and went there a couple weeks ago just to get a feel of the place again. We are confident in going back there.”
Next up for Ryan Blaney is the WearCrete Diamond Concrete Polishing North-South Shootout 125 Super Late Model race on November 7th at Concord Speedway (NC).
For more information on Ryan Blaney, please contact Jason Buckley at (704) 788-2134, and be sure to be on the lookout for the all-new Ryan Blaney website by 51 Sports, coming soon.
