NASCAR: Woods, Blaney return to Martinsville

The NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Sunday at Martinsville will serve as a homecoming of sorts for Ryan Blaney and Wood Brothers Racing.

Originally based out of nearby Stuart, the oldest team in NASCAR has infrequently visited its home track over the past decade, running just a partial schedule during that period. The Woods returned to full-time competition this season with support from Team Penske and Blaney hopes that relationship will allow him to catch up to the competition prior to the STP 500.

"The Penske group has been very, very helpful when it comes to that and helping us out, whether it's with personnel or helping us out with cars and everything like that," Blaney said. "They've done an amazing job of doing their part. That means a lot for the Wood Brothers... They've really, honestly, made it possible for us to do this."

In addition to his father Dave, a 15-year Sprint Cup veteran, Blaney expects to leverage his access to Joey Logano – the winner of the two most recent Martinsville poles and who's led 414 laps here since the spring of 2014.

"I've talked a lot to my dad and have honestly talked to him more about this track than any other, just because I feel like I've struggled here in Trucks," Blaney said. "I haven't talked to Joey at all. He's been really fast here the past couple of races and he'll definitely have something to offer.

"I'll probably have to track him down after first practice and before qualifying. We're spoiled now. We have data and everything like that, so we can sit down and compare data and see if he's doing anything different. Then he and I can maybe figure it out, if he's willing to help – which he usually is."

Only three drivers have won at Martinsville for the Wood Brothers, a Hall of Fame trio made up of Glen Wood, Cale Yarborough and David Pearson. While those are big shoes to fill, the 22-year-old says the pressure is no different than any other week driving the legendary No. 21.

"I honestly get that question every single weekend – if there's pressure with the Wood Brothers going back to a track they haven't been to in a while," Blaney said. "It's really kind of the same things every week. It's been a lot of fun to drive for them and be here every week and work with everyone on this race team...

"It's just cool to be at the track and be around everybody, so there's definitely no pressure. We're just out here trying to relax and have some fun. It's just kind of a bonus that we're here in their home state and their home track. We're going to have a lot of fans and we're going to have a lot of fun."