WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.: Ryan Blaney’s run from last to second in the Cook Out Clash was nothing short of remarkable on Sunday night.
After issues in his heat race forced the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford into the Last Chance Qualifier, Blaney and his crew used 23 of the 75-lap dash to ensure his car was stable and ready to race in the main event at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Despite exercising a driver points provisional and starting 23rd in the Clash, Blaney worked his way into the top 10 by the halftime break then ignited the after burners for the final 100 laps.
“Fun race,” Blaney said. “Our car was fast enough to pick our way through the field. Made up tons of ground through the first half of the race. I got to 10th at the break—and then got to the top five quickly. With 50 to go, I think, I got to second and then it became a game between Chase and I, ‘Who could save more tire?’ I had a feeling it was going to run to the end.
“We had a lot of laps left. So I went into save mode while I was still keeping pace. He just had a little more left rear drive than me at the end, then I started struggling. I thought it was pretty even. If you plopped me in front of him, I don’t think he’s going to pass me. And then if I’m behind him, I don’t think I’m going to pass him. I thought we were pretty even so that was fun.”
There were only two cautions prior to halftime—then three additional stoppages between laps 101 to 115. The adjustments the Jonathan Hassler-led crew made during the break and subsequently Blaney’s restarts allowed him to quickly slice through the field. He restarted sixth on Lap 116 then passed Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski to seize fifth before the seventh caution occurred on Lap 120.
While Denny Hamlin attempted to defend the point, Chase Elliott gave the No. 11 Toyota a nudge on Lap 124 and regained the lead two circuits later. As the battle ensued out front, Blaney passed Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher and moved to third. He then set his sights on Hamlin using lessons learned from his Martinsville Speedway victory in the fall of 2023.
“There are definitely things I transferred from like a Martinsville-style to here,” said Blaney, who has won the last two fall races on the half-mile ova. “Honestly, yesterday (Saturday) I didn’t think we were very good. I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do, so we worked really hard to get better.
“And it did feel like a mini-Martinsville. I could kind of drive it like I want—my car does what it needs in the right spots. There are definitely things we can take away from Martinsville to here a little bit. Just try and keep moving forward.”
Blaney waited for Hamlin to make a mistake and capitalized on Lap 147. He was able to keep pace with Elliott until the final 25 circuits when traffic picked up and the handling of the No. 12 faded.
“When it was time to go, I didn’t have quite enough,” Blaney said. “I could turn really good, but I paid the penalty on exit to where he could just kind of keep the power down a little bit longer.
The right rears seemed to wear out more than right fronts. It just helped him out a little bit more at the end.
“I started pushing. I didn’t have enough. I was like, ‘Uh-oh, I need some help by lappers.’ Could never really get there. Didn’t have enough to lean on.”
Following his first win in the Clash, Elliott praised Blaney for his driving prowess. At Martinsville in November, Blaney passed Elliott with 15 laps remaining to win the race.
“The racetrack was racy and there was enough tire wear that it allowed that to happen where a guy could conserve and make smart decisions and claw his way up there,” Elliott said. “Ryan certainly did that. He has become elite at places like Martinsville and here and Phoenix and some of these shorter tracks. You have to be mindful of all those things.
“When I saw him, I was, like, ‘Man, didn’t he start last?’ Then I thought about it a little more. I thought, That’s really not all that surprising at all as good as he was at Martinsville in the fall. This isn’t super different from that. It is different, don’t get me wrong, but there are a lot of similarities. Not super surprised to see him up there by the end.”
Blaney took the loss in stride. After completing his media commitments, he congratulated his friend in Victory Lane. As the crowd began clearing out of his home track, Blaney took a moment to reflect on the night.
“That was a blast,” Blaney said. “I hope the fans enjoyed the last 60 laps—but I thought the whole race was great. Everyone was pretty respectable, not riddled with cautions and stuff.
“It was great. The racing was awesome. Really cool that we came here and hope that we’ll be coming back.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
