A lot of the contenders for the win on Sunday had dedicated themselves to one among two pit methods – pit earlier than the beginning of Stage 3 with one closing cease later which might require loads of gas or run nicely into the ultimate stage with closing shorter cease late within the race.
When Todd Gilliland blew a brake rotor and hit the Flip 1 wall on lap 115 of 160, the methods and a few of the contenders took a giant hit.
For a number of moments, there was a giant query of who would pit because the warning got here proper on the surface of the window to make it to the top of the race on gas with out one other cease.
Because it turned out, the whole discipline elected to pit on lap 117 and Kyle Larson was the primary off pitroad, with Ryan Blaney shut behind in second.
Rushing penalties
Shortly after the automobiles accomplished their stops, nevertheless, NASCAR introduced 4 drivers – Larson, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez and pole winner Ty Gibbs – would all be despatched to the rear of the sector for rushing in the identical part of pit street.
All 4 drivers had run within the prime 10 in some unspecified time in the future previous to the pit stops, with Gibbs main the primary 17 laps of the race and Elliott with one of many few automobiles that had proven the power to maneuver by means of the sector.
Probably the most speedy impact of the penalties was to place Blaney within the lead for the primary time within the race – a place he wouldn’t relinquish the ultimate 44 laps of the race, which included three restarts following cautions.
When the race restarted with 40 laps remaining, the gamble began on who might save sufficient gas to make it to the top.
“Once we first pitted (throughout that warning), we have been most likely three laps in need of making it,” stated Blaney’s crew chief, Jonathan Hassler. “You actually have to leap on that chance as a result of when you don’t soar on it first, you’re not going to place your self in any sort of place to win.”
Three cautions within the closing 38 laps made Hassler’s choice a protected one, as Blaney’s No. 12 Penske Ford had loads of gas with the race ending at its scheduled distance. Overtimes – just like the 5 at Nashville simply two weeks in the past – would have created a good completely different narrative.
“We have been actually lucky that these cautions got here out actually to begin that run,” Hassler stated. “After the three cautions I feel it was, we have been in actually good place and will run laborious the remainder of the race.”
Race winner Ryan Blaney, Crew Penske, Wabash Ford Mustang
Picture by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Whereas the rushing penalties helped put Blaney in place to earn his second win of the 2024 season, they ended all hope of a victory for the 4 drivers that have been despatched to the rear.
Elliott faired the very best of the lot, with a ninth-place end. However he had proven much more potential than that earlier within the race.
Larson ended up thirteenth, which he ran earlier within the race, however had he saved his place on the observe, there isn’t any telling how nicely his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet would have carried out out entrance and in clear air.
Suarez fought his solution to sixteenth from the again of the sector, however once more, he had proven much more potential earlier within the race.
“We have been OK in clear air, however in site visitors, for some motive we struggled rather a lot I really feel like greater than the competitors,” Suarez stated. “General, there have been a number of issues we might do higher, however we completed sixteenth. We’ll take that for the automotive we had and the velocity we confirmed.”
Gibbs suffered the worst consequence, however most likely not associated to the lack of observe place from the penalty. His day ended after 132 laps when the engine blew on his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, sand he was credited with a twenty seventh place end.
