Duty
Ryan Blaney’s dreams of competing in the Indy 500 have been put on hold due to a decision from team owner Roger Penske. Blaney, who is a part of Team Penske’s NASCAR Cup Series team, was hoping to make his Indy 500 debut this year. Unfortunately, Penske has decided to focus on the NASCAR effort and has chosen to keep Blaney in the Cup Series for the month of May.
The news was a disappointment for Blaney, who had been looking forward to the challenge of competing in the Indy 500. “I was really excited about the opportunity to race in the Indy 500,” Blaney said. “It’s one of the most prestigious races in the world and I was looking forward to the challenge. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be this year.”
In place of Blaney, Penske has chosen to put Kyle Larson in the car for the Indy 500. Larson, who is also a part of Team Penske’s NASCAR Cup Series team, will attempt to do double duty by competing in both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR All-Star Race on the same day. It will be a daunting task for Larson, who will have to make two separate trips to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then back to Charlotte Motor Speedway in order to compete in both events.
Despite the disappointment of not being able to compete in the Indy 500 this year, Blaney is still looking forward to the rest of the NASCAR season. “I’m still really excited about the rest of the season,” Blaney said. “I’m looking forward to getting back on track and competing for wins.”
It’s unfortunate that Blaney won’t be able to make his Indy 500 debut this year, but it’s understandable why Penske made the decision he did. With Larson attempting double duty, it will be interesting to see how he fares and if he can pull off the feat. Either way, Blaney will still have plenty of opportunities to make his Indy 500 debut in the future.
