Ryan Blaney's timing is just right as he earns second win of season
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
BROOKLYN, Mich. – Ryan Blaney maybe didn’t have the best car, but he found himself in the right spot at the right time on the way to his second victory of the season.
When the three drivers ahead of him chose the outside lane – typically the preferred, faster lane – for a restart with eight laps remaining, Blaney opted for the front row spot on the inside lane. A strong push from behind by Kyle Busch shoved him into the lead and he held off a furious push from William Byron for the trophy in the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.
"We were fourth and no one took the bottom, and it is hard to resist," said Blaney, who had not led at all until the final eight laps. "You can’t pass up the front row. That one worked out for us.
"Good thing Kyle was really committed to my bumper."
The race, the next-to-last event of the NASCAR Cup Series' regular season, set up a couple of intriguing battles going into the regular-season finale Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Here are three takeaways following Michigan:
Blaney's mild upset
Blaney entered the race eighth in the regular-season standings and with his only victory this year coming back in March at Atlanta in the fifth race of the year.
So to get a victory on a day when maybe he didn’t have the best car was something he could relish, as well as the first time in his career that he has won multiple races in a season.
"[That win] was way long ago," Blaney said after his sixth career victory. "We’ve been close getting back to victory lane. The last month-and-a-half has been good to us. ... It’s a very timely win a couple of weeks before the playoffs."
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Dillon, Reddick can’t capitalize
While Kevin Harvick clinched a spot in the playoffs on points, the two drivers battling for the final spot on points – Richard Childress Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon – couldn’t capitalize on the other’s misfortune.
Dillon had a potential race-winning car when he was turned by Brad Keselowski following the second stage. Dillon thought Keselowski would give him a little more room after he crossed the finish line for the stage and Keselowski didn’t.
"I don’t know why it happened, really," Dillon said. "I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess."
Keselowski took much of the blame.
"I hate that I had that contact with the [Dillon]," Keselowski said. "That really sucks for everybody. It really hurt our day and obviously ruined his."
Reddick appeared to build on his 28-point advantage heading into the race until a couple of late-race accidents relegated him to 29th. Although he finished seven spots ahead of Dillon, Reddick actually lost three points because of Dillon’s ability to score stage points.
Dillon, a former Daytona 500 winner, enters the summer Daytona race 25 points behind Reddick. Whoever is highest in points after Daytona makes the playoffs unless one of the 15 drivers who isn’t already locked into the playoffs wins the Daytona race.
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Larson slightly increases cushion
Kyle Larson finished third and earned six more points than fifth-place Denny Hamlin to increase his lead for the regular-season title to 28 points.
So even though he led a race-high 70 laps, Larson was totally bummed he didn’t earn his sixth victory of the season.
"I'm glad I gained some points on him today," Larson said. "But Daytona is Daytona. I don't typically see the checkered flag I feel like too often there. We'll see."
The regular-season champion earns 15 playoff points – points that are added to a driver total in each round of the playoffs – while the runner-up earns 10.
"We’ve got good momentum," Hamlin said. "We’re fast. Every single week we can win. There’s only maybe three cars that can say that every single week."
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!
