Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Team Penske race team finished round one of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with a bang by winning the inaugural ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and punched their ticket to the Round of 12 starting next week at Dover International Raceway.
Powered by Shell technology under the hood, Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Fusion, took the lead in the final corner on the last lap to capture the thrilling victory. Blaney, running in the third position, took advantage of an eventful situation when the two leaders in front of him spun out while battling for the win. Coming to the finish, Jimmie Johnson slid into Martin Truex Jr., causing both cars to spin within sight of the finish line. Blaney avoided the incident and beat Jamie McMurray to the finish line to score his first victory of the 2018 season.
“It’s really cool. It’s a different way than I’ve ever won one before in my life,” said Blaney after the win. “It’s cool to win the first one. Your name will be on it for a while, so that is special.”
The victory marks the second-career win for Blaney, but first of 2018 and fifth points-paying MENCS win for Team Penske in 2018. The victory is also the 501st win overall for the Team Penske organization, which celebrated its 500th race win after Brad Keselowski took the checkers in at Las Vegas Motor Speedway just two weeks ago.
“We are thrilled for Ryan and all of Team Penske for this significant win,” said Vatsal Shah, General Manager of Lubricants Technology for Pennzoil. “We’re proud that the special formulation of Pennzoil racing oil that Blaney uses in the No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Fusion was part of the success story at the ROVAL 400. Throughout the year, Shell scientists work hand-in-hand with Team Penske to optimize the Pennzoil racing oil that is critical to maximizing performance and engine reliability throughout the race. We are developing the next generation of high quality products for customers, and the knowledge gained through our work at the track is enabling us to do just that!”
With Sunday’s win Blaney and both of his Team Penske teammates, Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske) and Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske) move on to the second round (round of 12) of the NASCAR “Playoffs”. The second round begins this Sunday, October 7th at Dover International Raceway with the running of the Gander Outdoors 400.
The Pennzoil race oil used in all Team Penske MENCS race cars is formulated using Pennzoil PurePlus® Technology, a revolutionary process which converts pure natural gas into high quality full synthetic base oil. In addition to blending a unique formulation for the Ford engine from week to week, Shell scientists also tailor high performance lubricants for the Team Penske gearbox.
Blaney’s 2018 ROVAL 400 win brings Team Penske a total combined 501 wins, 573 pole positions and 32 national championships. Beginning as Roger Penske Racing in 1966, competing in sports car and endurance events, Team Penske has grown into one of the most successful racing teams – and sports teams - in the world with nearly 100 drivers turning a lap in competition for Team Penske.
For more information about the Shell-Pennzoil sponsorship, visit www.shell.us/racing. For more information about Pennzoil motor oil formulations, visit www.Pennzoil.com. For more information about Team Penske, visit www.teampenske.com.About Shell and Pennzoil
Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 20,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. The Shell downstream organization manages a portfolio of top-quality brands, including the No. 1 selling premium gasoline, Shell V-Power ® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline, No. 1 selling gasoline, Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, and Pennzoil®, the No. 1 selling motor oil brand in America.
Shell’s motorsports technical alliances around the world provide a testing ground for fuel and lubricant technologies and products in demanding road conditions. The knowledge Shell and Pennzoil gain through these alliances help address tomorrow’s world mobility energy challenge with efficient solutions that power and protect motorists around the globe. http://www.shell.comhttp://www.shell.us http://www.pennzoil.comAbout Team Penske
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced 501 major race wins, over 570 pole positions and 32 Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 52-year history, the team has also earned 17 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win and overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. For 2018, Team Penske will compete in the Verizon IndyCar Series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team also races in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, in a partnership with Dick Johnson Racing, as DJR Team Penske. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.
