Roger Penske ace Ryan Blaney sends strong message following Duel performance before Daytona 500

Ryan Blaney had a relatively uneventful run in the Duel races on Thursday night (Feb. 13), but he kept his #12 Ford clean and avoided trouble. With the qualifying races behind him, the Penske driver is gearing up to star in the main event on Sunday (Feb. 16), the Daytona 500.

Blaney had failed to crack the top 10 during Wednesday night's qualifying session, while his teammate Austin Cindric secured a front-row spot for the Daytona 500. Blaney, Cindric, and their three-time championship-winning teammate Joey Logano were all set to compete in the second Duel race on Thursday night.

Cindric and Logano starred in the second Duel race, controlling the pack in the final laps. Blaney, who started further back in 10th, struggled to draft with his teammates for much of the race. Despite being out of sync, the #12 Penske driver steered clear of trouble and secured an eighth-place finish, while Cindric claimed victory and Logano crossed the line in fifth.

After securing a 16th-place starting position for the Daytona 500, Blaney remarked that he had a good run in the Duels and feels ready for the headliner.

"Good night at The Duel. We are ready for the headliner, It’s The Daytona 500," he wrote on Instagram.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric will share the front row for Sunday’s 500-mile race. Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones start right behind them, with William Byron and Chris Buescher making up the third row. Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano takes the 10th spot, while his Penske teammate Ryan Blaney will roll off from 16th.

Blaney will be chasing his first Harley J. Earl Trophy this weekend, while his teammates Logano and Cindric aim to capture their second. The Daytona 500 is set to go green this Sunday (Feb. 16), at 2:30 PM ET.

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Ryan Blaney reflects on close calls in the Daytona 500

The 2023 NASCAR Cup champion, Ryan Blaney, is set to make his 11th Daytona 500 start this weekend. In his previous 10 appearances, he has secured five top-10 finishes and came agonizingly close to victory twice, finishing as the runner-up.

Driving for Wood Brothers Racing in 2017, Blaney finished second to Kurt Busch, and in 2020, he lost the win to Denny Hamlin. He was also in the fight for victory in 2022 when his rookie teammate Cindric won the race. Despite these near misses, Blaney doesn’t feel "snakebit" and is focused on learning from past experiences to make the right moves and finally capture the victory.

"I definitely don't feel snakebit," Blaney said (via SpeedwayDigest.com). "I've been lucky enough to be close a few times -- finished second twice. I've probably had a really good shot to win it three or four times, and it just hasn't panned out for us..."

"If you make a mistake and lose the race, then you really have to think about, 'Hey, I've got to do better in this position and just learn from it.' It's nice to have been close, and you just hope to use those close experiences to help you, if you're in that spot again." he added.

Blaney is widely considered one of the best pack racers on the grid and is expected to be a strong contender for the 67th running of the Daytona 500.