Could Ryan Blaney Bring Success to the Wood Brothers in 2015?

NASCAR is on the cusp of seeing an influx of young and talented drivers entering the Sprint Cup ranks within the next few years. While guys like Darrell Wallace Jr. and Chase Elliott are competing for a championship in the Camping World and Nationwide Series, respectively, other drivers like Erik Jones and Kyle Larson are turning heads in their own divisions.

One driver who is projected to be a champion soon is Ryan Blaney, son of Sprint Cup journeyman Dave Blaney. The younger Blaney has shown promise from the start, winning in just his third attempt in the Camping World Truck Series in 2012 (he has won twice more since, all with Brad Keselowski Racing).

His success has also translated to the Nationwide Series, where he has won twice for Penske Racing and is a consistent finisher near the front. With all of his success, one would think that Penske Racing would resurrect their No. 12 Ford just for Blaney to drive on a full-time basis in the Sprint Cup Series.

Instead, thanks to a new alliance between Penske and Wood Brothers Racing, Blaney will be taking over driving duties for the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford. Keep in mind that this is the same No. 21 Ford that has only won twice since 2000.

Current Wood Brothers driver Trevor Bayne, who is currently racing for a Nationwide Series championship for Roush-Fenway Racing, will be moving to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2015, thus leaving the No. 21 seat empty. However, Wood Brothers and Roush-Fenway will be ending their longtime partnership at the end of 2014, as the No. 21 Ford will begin a partnership with Penske Racing beginning next season.

There's no doubt that Penske Racing is the best Ford-backed team in all of NASCAR right now. They have won eight times in the Sprint Cup Series this season and have also won multiple races in the Nationwide Series and have helped both BKR trucks to victory this year. If anything, the alliance between Wood Brothers and Penske is a smart move for NASCAR's oldest team.

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Still, there will be doubts. The No. 21 Ford has only five top-10s since the 2006 Daytona 500, with Bayne earning three of those. Sure, one of those was a victory in the 2011 Daytona 500. But more often than not, the No. 21 car has been in the back of the field or on the back of a flatbed in the races since.

Then again, Bayne's results have been pretty underwhelming in general. In a Nationwide career dating back to 2009, he has only won twice (Texas, 2011; Iowa, 2013). He's still young, but in all actuality, he's yet to hit a hot streak.

Meanwhile, Blaney has been strong from the start. In 46 truck series starts dating back to 2012, he has three wins and 28 top-10s. In 26 Nationwide Series starts, also dating back to 2012, he has two wins and 19 top-10s. Therefore, by signing Blaney to a limited Sprint Cup schedule, the Wood Brothers are bound to turn some heads once again in the Sprint Cup Series.

This is good because Blaney's style is more suited to the No. 21's legacy. He's quiet instead of flashy, but he's aggressive when he knows he has a chance at the victory. In a way, he's like another former Wood Brothers driver: David Pearson.

Blaney will be donning the yellow stripe on his rear bumper for a reason, so expect for him to have a few hiccups. But for the most part, expect Blaney to post some strong results in the No. 21 in 2015.

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