UPDATE: Shortly after publishing, Team Penske announced that Menard’s would be building on the support of Team Penske and Wood Brothers Racing for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, backing Austin Cindric’s No. 2, Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 and Harrison Burton’s No. 21 Ford Mustang.
“We’ve been really blessed through the years to have outstanding drivers who were also great ambassadors for our company,” stated Menards President, John Menard. “This longstanding tradition continues with Austin and Ryan, two tremendous young talents who are not only capable of winning on any given weekend, but also great role models for America’s youth. Our continuing partnership with Team Penske and all of our great racing partners will make 2022 an exceptional and thrilling year with much success.”
The relationship between Team Penske and Menard’s began in 2016, in the NTT IndyCar Series, and has continued throughout the ranks of NASCAR for the last five seasons.
“Team Penske has enjoyed a great relationship with the entire Menards organization for many years and we are excited to continue the partnership across both our No. 2 and No. 12 Ford Mustang teams in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Roger Penske. “John Menard has been a tremendous supporter of motorsports for more than 30 years and the commitment to Team Penske, to Austin and to Ryan will help keep the Menards brand at the forefront of our sport. We are excited to see what Austin can do as a rookie in the Cup Series and we know Ryan will continue to provide veteran leadership for the team in 2022. Both drivers have a great opportunity as they will represent an industry-leading brand in Menards for the upcoming season.”
.@Menards will back Team Penske's Nos. 2 and 12 cars in 2022. pic.twitter.com/atWwHNRLAm
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) November 30, 2021
Ryan Blaney will once again have the familiar fluorescent Menards yellow blasting our pupils in 2022 as the family-owned store chain will return as a primary sponsor on the No. 12 Ford Mustang this season.
Blaney confirmed that the sponsor would return in a new interview on Garage Talk, a video podcast from Garage Guys Fantasy Sports, which is booming in popularity.
In the interview, when questioned by Chase Holden about whether Menards will return for 2022, Blaney says, “Yeah, Menards is with us next year. So, that’s great. They’ve been awesome to get to know. You brought up Paul Menard, he’s been awesome. It was cool to be his teammate for a couple of years there when he was in the Wood Brothers car.”
Menards served as the primary sponsor for Blaney in 21 events during the 2021 season, a year where Blaney won a career-high three NASCAR Cup Series races.
The official return of Menards will no doubt signal a huge chunk of race sponsorship being filled for Blaney in 2022.
To watch the full 25-minute interview with Blaney on the Garage Guys podcast Garage Talk, click play in the player below:
