Ryan Blaney’s hopes of clinching a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway slipped away on the final lap as Tyler Reddick snatched victory from him in the Straight Talk Wireless 400. Blaney, who had taken the lead from Denny Hamlin with just two laps to go, was overtaken by Reddick on the outside in Turn 3 on the final lap, leaving Blaney to settle for second.
“It’s obvious disappointment,” Blaney admitted. “I had a great shot to win and I didn’t have a very good last lap. I thought I got into 3 hard… but it stuck for him, which is pretty impressive. It definitely stinks. I appreciate everybody on the 12 team for bringing a really fast race car. We had a great shot to go to Phoenix, and still got one more chance, so we still have to look forward to that.”
Blaney’s battle with Hamlin in the closing laps saw him regain the lead just before the white flag, but leaving the outside lane open proved costly as Reddick made the winning move with superior entry speed. Blaney replayed the moment, realizing he’d be dwelling on his choices for the night. “I’ll be picking through what I should have done different,” he said. “That’s just the way it goes.”
Though Blaney led 47 laps and collected 13 playoff points, he now faces a 38-point gap to a Championship 4 transfer spot with just one race left in the Round of 8. While reflecting on the loss, Blaney expressed confidence about his pace and looked forward to Martinsville, where he’s the defending race winner.
“I’m excited, though. I’m super excited about the speed we had today,” Blaney shared. “Last week’s speed was great, too, before we got in the wreck. Hopefully we bring that same speed to Martinsville.” As he steels himself for the final chance to advance, Blaney’s focus is clear: redemption in the high-stakes race at Martinsville Speedway.
