Ryan Blaney was bodily spent after Sunday’s Cup Collection championship race at Phoenix Raceway — wiped after attempting to chase down and overtake his teammate.
The 2023 champion handed the torch again to Joey Logano when he couldn’t get there. Blaney might see Logano’s bumper, however there was no severe problem for the lead within the closing laps. The Group Penske drivers completed first and second within the race and the championship — the third straight for workforce proprietor Roger Penske.
“I used to be drained, man,” Blaney mentioned. “I used to be driving onerous and huffing and puffing and felt like I used to be going to move out after the race. I used to be working onerous attempting to shut the hole down. There have been a whole lot of similarities to final week, and I simply didn’t fairly get there this week.”
Blaney restarted sixth when the race went inexperienced for the ultimate time with 54 laps to go. He didn’t make up floor rapidly and spent a whole lot of time having to battle Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson. It wasn’t till 35 laps to go when Blaney prevailed for third place.
Already, although, Logano was driving away. The No. 22 took the lead one lap after the restart. Blaney took the second place from William Byron, one other championship contender, with 22 laps to go. There was a 2s deficit Blaney needed to erase to get to Logano.
“All people placed on defensive clinics immediately,” Blaney mentioned. “All people I attempted to move. All people did, so props to them for that. They did a fantastic job. It’s simply what you must do. I imply, [Larson] did it to me, [Byron] did it to me, [Logano] did it to me. It’s simply what you’ve bought to do if you happen to’re struggling, and it simply buys you time. It’s simply a part of the game as a result of it’s so highly effective.
“The defensive position is so highly effective [with] soiled air. It’s important to do it in case you have a quicker automotive behind you coming down in these moments. I don’t blame them for doing it. Is it the funnest factor on the earth? No, as a result of I’ve lived that story many, many instances. I needed to work … to get by the No. 5, and I needed to work … to get to the No. 24 and move him, and I needed to work my tail off to run Joey down from a protracted methods again. As I’m doing it, I’m considering to myself, ‘I believe I’m going to get there — get shut — however I don’t know if I’m going to have something to move him. I can’t save as a result of I’m by no means going to get there if I save.’
“Martinsville was a little bit bit totally different as a result of I had extra laps left. Right here, I actually simply had to make use of my [expletive] up actually onerous to get shut, after which I simply didn’t actually have something left there, so it was a little bit little bit of each. My tires had been spent, and he did an excellent job of putting his automotive the place he wanted to be.”
The teammates had been the category of the championship area. Blaney completed sixth within the first stage and received the second stage. He led a complete of 12 laps and, at instances, was answerable for the championship. Logano received the primary stage and completed second within the second stage.
Sunday’s run to the end noticed Blaney and Logano amongst a handful of drivers who pitted beneath the ultimate warning. The sphere had already began a inexperienced flag pit cycle when the ultimate warning occurred. Byron stayed out to inherit the lead, having pitted just one lap earlier than the yellow.
Blaney and Logano restarted within the third row.
“I simply bought bottled up,” Blaney mentioned. “I took sixth [because] I believed the highest was in all probability the higher row, personally, and bought put in form of a bizarre aero spot. Quite a lot of guys washed up in entrance of me there by means of [Turns] 1 and a pair of, and Joey bought clear, after which I solely bought to fourth. That was the end result.
“Joey bought to the lead fairly rapidly 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 [tail] off to attempt to get by the No. 5 and the No. 24 and run Joey down, after which I had nothing left. Every little thing was spent on that automotive. … Yeah, simply the restart, if I’d have simply been nearer, if I’d have come out second or so, I wouldn’t have needed to work as onerous and are available from as far again and possibly would have had a little bit bit higher shot.”
