Blaney 3rd straight driver to win Xfinity race in No. 20

By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) _ Ryan Blaney became the third different Team Penske driver in as many NASCAR Xfinity Series races to win in the No. 22 Ford when he took the checkered flag on a chilly Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway.

Blaney was the pole sitter and led 132 of 200 laps.

The Xfinity Series was back on the track after a two-week break since Joey Logano won in the No. 22 car at California. That was a week after Brad Keselowski drove that Team Penske entry to Victory Lane in Phoenix.

Joe Gibbs Racing is the only other team in the series to win three straight races with the same car and different drivers. Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin won consecutive races in their team’s No. 20 Toyota in 2008. That car actually won four straight races when Stewart won again.

It was the seventh career Xfinity victory for Blaney, who qualified fourth for Sunday’s Cup Series race at the 11/2-mile Texas track.