LOND POND, Pa. – Ryan Blaney still feels like the “goofy, quiet kid” he was at 23 when he passed Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch in the final 10 laps at Pocono Raceway in 2017 to win a NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time.
Sometimes not much has changed in Blaney’s life.
“I still drink a lot of beer,” Blaney said, before waiting a moment and adding, “Probably more.”
Blaney laughed at the thought, but the reality is that, at least on the track, he has long since ceased to have the image of a rising star in stock car racing. At 30, he is a certified NASCAR champion and serves as something of an elder statesman, promoting the sport from coast to coast over the past week with media appearances from the ESPY Awards to NBC’s “Today” show.
“I was just lucky enough to have a cool trip,” Blaney said.
While his popularity has increased dramatically, the only path that really matters in NASCAR is the one to victory. Blaney led the final 44 laps and won again on Sunday at Pocono, his second victory in the last five races of the season.
“I think we’ve been spectacular the last two months,” Blaney said.
This also applies to Team Penske. On every track. In every series.
Blaney secured a weekend victory for the legendary motorsports organization after Scott McLaughlin won the IndyCar Series races at Iowa Speedway on Sunday morning and Will Power on Saturday night for 87-year-old team owner Roger Penske.
Penske drivers have also won four of the last seven Cup Series races.
“Penske Sweep!” Blaney yelled in Pocono.
AP Photo by Derik Hamilton/Ryan Blaney makes a pit stop in Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.Blaney, the reigning Cup Series champion, won at Iowa Speedway last month when NASCAR’s top track visited for the first time, and he picked up two more top-10 finishes en route to Pocono. The Penske driver’s summer success in the No. 12 Ford has made him a real contender for a second consecutive championship title.
“I definitely think we’re in a better position right now than we were last year,” Blaney said. “I feel like we’re faster. Our execution is great.”
Blaney was fully focused on the 2.5-mile track and was never seriously challenged by second-place Denny Hamlin in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and third-place Alex Bowman in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet over the final ten laps.
Hamlin holds the Pocono record for Cup Series wins with seven, while Bowman won last weekend’s Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago. Bowman and Hamlin were fast again, but not fast enough to catch Blaney in front of another packed house at Pocono.
Hamlin, last year’s winner at Pocono, was hot on his heels for the final six laps, but the three-time Daytona 500 champion was never able to catch Blaney’s Ford.
“Never lose a race, just always run out of time, right? That’s just part of it,” Hamlin said.
Hendrick’s William Byron finished fourth and Penske’s Joey Logano completed the top five.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was ejected after just 53 laps, dealing a major blow to his playoff efforts. Chastain’s points lead for the final spot in the postseason field was reduced from 53 points to 27 points over 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.
There are still five races left in the regular season before the 16-strong playoff field is set. Four spots are still open, with the twelve race winners so far this year automatically securing a spot.
Next up for the Cup Series is next Sunday’s race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, marking the 30th anniversary of stock car racing at the historic venue. After that, there will be a two-week break for the Summer Olympics as NBC Sports covers the games in Paris.
