Gold Line: Ryan Blaney, '20 Menards Throwback' Mustang

Every driver who has been in the Cup series for the last five to ten years have run their fair share of special throwback paint schemes honoring the teams, drivers, and sponsors of the past. Some are very good, some, not so much. Ryan Blaney has in my opinion run the full gamut with the various throwbacks his race car has worn through the years both at W.B.R, and at Penske. In 2020, Blaney and the Penske 12 team paid homage to former Cup driver, Paul Menard and his 2009 victory in the ARCA series. For a closer look at this unique race car, read on...

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The real thing: Ryan Blaney steers his 2020 Ford Mustang during the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 6th.  (Photograph by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images), Jayski.com.

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Originally scheduled to start seventh, Blaney's No. 12 Ford was penalized during pre-race inspection for an improperly mounted ballast, leading to a 10-point deduction and the ejection of his crew chief, Todd Gordon. As a result, Blaney began the race from the rear of the field. The race proved difficult for Blaney. He suffered a flat tire early in Stage 2, forcing him to pit while the race was under green. This misfortune caused him to fall a lap behind and he was unable to recover, ultimately finishing 24th. This result dropped him to last in the playoff standings heading into the next race at Richmond.

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Notes:
Darlington has historically not been a strong racetrack for Blaney. As of April 2025, Blaney has participated in 14 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway. His average starting position is 9.9, and his average finishing position is 19.7. In his most recent start at the track Blaney secured a top 5 finish, and that seems to mark some improvement. This car ended up finishing 24th, and one lap down during the 2020 contest, a more typical day for Blaney up to that point in his career. 

The 2020 Mustang casting (virtually the same casting used in 2019) from Lionel is one of their best in recent times. The chassis of this car is very sturdy, and seems to avoid many of the problem areas for 1/64 scale race cars. The 1/64 model also was painted and detailed to an exceptional degree, and so it very accurately replicates the real version. It even has the 2020 Nascar Playoffs banner across the windshield, a nice touch. This is a great model that can still be found on the secondhand market for less than $10 dollars!

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Sources:
​-Darlingtonraceway.com
-Jayski.com
-Motorsportsweek.com
​-mrn.com
​-Nascar.com
-nbcsports.com
-Racing-reference.info