Ryan Blaney Closes Gap on NASCAR Points Lead with Dominant Atlanta Win
Ryan Blaney is now just 65 points behind the leader in the NASCAR points championship after a dominant performance at EchoPark Speedway. The Team Penske driver's victory marked a significant milestone in his quest for the title.
What Happened?
Blaney's impressive weekend began when he won the pole position, joined by Team Penske teammate Joey Logano on the front row. He then survived a long weather delay to answer every challenge, winning Stage 1, Stage 2, and ultimately the race itself. Blaney led 171 laps in his win, the most at a drafting-style track since Richard Petty led 184 of 200 laps for his first Daytona 500 win in 1964.
Why It Matters for Ryan Blaney
Blaney's victory was a testament to his team's hard work and his own driving skills. The 171 laps led are a significant achievement, especially considering the challenging conditions at EchoPark Speedway. Blaney's car was incredibly fast, allowing him to defend moves without having to throw low-percentage blocks.
What Comes Next?
Blaney will continue to chase the Toyotas of Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick for the points lead. His strategy is simple: "Just keep doing what we're doing." Blaney's crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, made the crucial decision to keep the No. 12 Ford on the track after Blaney brushed the wall with 29 laps remaining. Blaney worried he felt a "terrible" vibration following the contact with the wall but Hassler was able to quickly determine there was no serious damage.
Blaney's dominance began when he won the pole while joined by Team Penske teammate Joey Logano on the front row. He then survived the long weather delay to answer every challenge while winning Stage 1, Stage 2, and then surviving a three-wide battle on the final lap. "I couldn't ask for a better weekend," Blaney said. "Sat on the pole, won both stages and won the race.
"My car was incredibly fast, leading. I could defend moves without having to throw, like, low-percentage blocks. I just never really did that." Blaney knew he had the speed to recover if he briefly lost the lead. "Some moves are kind of unbeatable to defend as the leader," he said. "I would just let people get to my inside. If they passed me, great, I think I can probably develop a run to get them back."
Blaney's crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, made the crucial decision to keep the No. 12 Ford on the track after Blaney brushed the wall with 29 laps remaining. Blaney worried he felt a "terrible" vibration following the contact with the wall but Hassler was able to quickly determine there was no serious damage. "We were able to get some pictures really quick, see that the damage wasn't too bad," Hassler said. "Obviously we saw there was a little bit. ... We looked at it, there were 30 cars on the lead lap, not a lot of laps left. Our chance to win was to stay out, take a little bit of a risk. Fortunately it worked out for us."
Blaney fought off challenges from Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell, who finished second, on the final lap. Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top four. Wallace was penalized for passing below the double yellow lines and finished 29th instead of second. Blaney said he didn't have the best-handling car but enjoyed being able to rely on his superior speed with the race on the line.
"That was kind of a fun dynamic of my car is really fast, handles a little worse than theirs," Blaney said. "Their car handles better but isn't quite as quick down the straightaway. Fun how all that played out." Now Blaney will continue to chase the Toyotas of Hamlin and Reddick for the points lead. Blaney's strategy is simple: "Just keep doing what we're doing."
Asked if he can win the championship, Blaney said "I don't think it's out of the question. "We just have to keep doing what we're doing." The event took place on 24 July 2023 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
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