Ryan Blaney gave everything he had in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, fighting exhaustion and the clock as he pushed to catch his teammate Joey Logano. But despite his relentless pursuit, Blaney ultimately came up short, finishing second in both the race and the championship, as Logano clinched his third title and handed Team Penske its third consecutive championship win.
“I was tired, man,” Blaney admitted post-race. “I was driving hard, huffing and puffing, felt like I was going to pass out. I was working hard trying to close the gap down.” Blaney’s pursuit started with a final restart from sixth place, with 54 laps remaining, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t close the two-second deficit that kept him from mounting a serious challenge.
Logano’s jump from fifth to first during the restart proved decisive, and while Blaney managed to climb into second, he simply ran out of steam. “The restart didn’t play out as well as I’d hoped,” Blaney explained. “Joey got clear early, and by the time I settled in, I was fourth. I had to work my tail off just to get by the No. 5 [Kyle Larson] and the No. 24 [William Byron], and by the time I caught up to Joey, everything was spent on that car.”
Blaney’s journey to the front was made even harder by defensive driving from the competition, as each driver battled to hold their position. “Everybody put on defensive clinics today,” Blaney said. “I had to fight tooth and nail to get by anyone. It’s part of the sport, and I don’t blame them—it just buys them time and eats up your tires trying to pass.”
Blaney’s night was one of near misses and relentless grit. He finished sixth in Stage 1 and clinched a Stage 2 victory, showing signs of control over the championship battle. Yet, the final caution upended his strategy. As Blaney and Logano restarted from the third row, Logano surged forward, leaving Blaney trapped in traffic.
“If I’d been closer to him off the restart—if I’d come out second or so—I might have had a better shot,” Blaney mused. “Instead, I spent so much just getting there, I had nothing left when I finally caught him.”
Despite the outcome, Blaney’s run showcased the Penske team’s dominance, with both drivers outperforming the competition. The finish marked Blaney’s fierce commitment and sportsmanship, and Logano’s ability to capitalize when it mattered most. In the end, Blaney handed the torch back to his teammate with respect, saying, “Congrats to Joey and the whole No. 22 team—they put together a great playoffs. I’ll gladly take second to him, especially for Team Penske.”
