Ryan Blaney got here from almost three seconds again to problem teammate Joey Logano for the Phoenix race win and Cup Collection championship, however he merely ran out of time to get the job carried out. On the checkered flag, he was 0.330s away from turning into a back-to-back NASCAR Cup Collection champion, and he was worn out. The AMR Security Workforce tended to him on pit highway after the race.
“I used to be drained, man,” mentioned Blaney. “I used to be driving exhausting and huffing and puffing and felt like I used to be going to move out after the race. I used to be working exhausting attempting to shut the hole down. There have been quite a lot of similarities to final week and simply did not fairly get there this week.”
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta Chevrolet Camaro, Joey Logano, Workforce Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang, Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske, Menards/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Mustang, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry
Photograph by: NASCAR Media
The crucial second got here on a Lap 259 restart when William Byron managed the race with two Hendrick Motorsports teammates at his again. Whereas Logano made an excellent three-wide move for the lead, Blaney remained trapped behind two of the Hendrick drivers. That turned out to be the profitable second, as Logano by no means relinquished the lead once more
Blaney fought exhausting with Kyle Larson and later Byron, however by the point he cleared them each, Logano was 2.3 seconds up the highway with simply over 20 laps to go.
“Simply acquired bottled up,” mentioned Blaney of that pivotal restart. “I took sixth. I believed the highest was most likely the higher row, personally, and simply acquired put in sort of a bizarre aero spot. Quite a lot of guys washed up in entrance of me there via 1 and a couple of, and Joey sort of acquired clear, after which I solely acquired to fourth.
“That was the result. Simply Joey acquired to the lead fairly fast with how the restart went, and it labored out for him. By the point I settled in, I used to be fourth and needed to work my ass off to attempt to get by the 5 and the 24 and run Joey down, after which I had nothing left. Every part was spent on that automobile.
“I knew after I was working him down, I will get there, however I did not have something as soon as I acquired there. When you get in soiled air they usually can begin sort of guessing the place you are going, it simply makes it that a lot tougher. Yeah, simply the restart, if I might have simply been nearer, if I might have got here out second or so, I would not have needed to work as exhausting and are available from as far again and possibly would have had a bit bit higher shot.”
Simply wanted to get out entrance
Whereas passing was troublesome, Blaney was one of many stronger drivers on a future, making it work higher than most by driving in deep on nook entry. Nevertheless, it was by no means going to be sufficient towards a driver with clear air.
“I simply — I want I ever acquired management of the race. Like I by no means acquired the lead. I acquired the lead as soon as, and I believe the inexperienced flag stops occurred or I acquired the lead on the finish of Stage 2, Stage 2 ended, after which I acquired the lead again — nicely, I lastly handed Joey for second within the third stage when the inexperienced flag cycle occurred, Bell pitted, I got here out second — I simply by no means acquired the lead.
“I felt like if I acquired the lead, I am gone. Nevertheless it simply did not play out. Automobile was nice, and Jonathan and people guys did an awesome job of getting us to the place we would have liked to be.”