Team Penske revealed Wednesday that Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford will run a throwback scheme paying homage to Ryan Newman’s 2008 Daytona 500 victory for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The No. 12 will be decked out in the light blue base with the white streak that made Newman’s Alltel scheme stand out under the lights as it took the checkered flag with teammate Kurt Busch completing a 1-2 finish for Penske in the 50th running of the “Great American Race.” The scheme comes as the organization continues to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
Blaney, Newman and members of the 2008 Daytona 500-winning crew were at the Penske shop this week and were surprised with the throwback scheme, placed alongside Newman’s car.
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“That win has a lot of history,” Blaney said. “That paint scheme is very memorable. It’s one of my favorite paint schemes growing up. The Alltel scheme was really iconic. The blue is beautiful, and with the 60th anniversary of Penske, we’re really utilizing a lot of iconic wins for the organization. I had the pleasure to race with Ryan for a handful of years before he retired. He’s one of my favorite drivers to watch growing up and heck of a competitor. We’re really honored to be able to run it this weekend at Pocono.”
Newman is fifth all-time on Team Penske’s win list in the Cup Series, compiling 13 victories from 2002-2008. Newman also scored his first big oval win at Pocono, running in the ARCA Menards Series for Penske in 2000.
“Throwback schemes have always been cool, but keeping it internally is a different kind of special,” Newman said. “Really proud and honored to be a part of the history at Penske. Ryan and I have always had a good relationship. It’s cool to see the car go back in that livery at a track where we won our first race at.”
Blaney’s No. 12 will also carry a commemorative sticker honoring crew chief Roy McCauley, who died in 2024. McCauley was atop the pit box for Newman when they won the Daytona 500, and the pair combined for seven triumphs across the Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
“We dominated the [O’Reilly Auto Parts] Series back in ’05. We won six out of nine races and had a great experience,” Newman said. “Roy was such a big part of so many things here at Penske after he was a crew chief. He had a lot of different roles and was successful at all of them. It’s really special for me to be able to put that sticker on because I know his wife Amy was a big part of it and a big supporter of what we did on the race track.”
MORE: Pocono weekend schedule | Cup standings
Blaney enters Sunday’s race third in the points standings and is a two-time winner at the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle.”