Ryan Blaney was devastated after the race defeat at Gateway. The current NASCAR Cup Series champion, with only a few laps remaining in the race, was ecstatic as he was finally going to break his winless streak and secure a spot in the playoffs. However, things took a turn for the worse as he approached the finish line to start his final lap and his car ran out of fuel, causing him to slow down.
The 2022 Daytona 500 champion and Blaney’s teammate, who was in second place at the time, took advantage of the situation and took the lead, winning the race. Meanwhile, Blaney’s position in the race plummeted and he could only manage to finish in 24th place. The driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang was visibly devastated as he exited the car.
After getting out of the car, Blaney’s teammate and co-owner of RFK Racing, who drives the No. 6 Ford, approached him to offer comfort and support. He shook Blaney’s hand, hugged him, and encouraged him to maintain a positive attitude. Despite finishing in third place, the veteran showed great sportsmanship by consoling his former teammate.
Keselowski played a significant role in Blaney’s career during their time together at Team Penske Racing. From Blaney’s debut in the Cup series with Wood Brothers in 2016 to his promotion to Penske in 2018, Keselowski served as Blaney’s mentor. This emotional moment demonstrates that the two still have a strong relationship, even though Keselowski switched teams two years ago.
During his post-race press conference, Blaney expressed his belief that he had enough fuel to finish the race before running out. He mentioned that the tank did not contain the expected amount of fuel according to his team’s calculations.
Although Blaney suffered a defeat, he can find solace in the fact that his teammate, Cindric, emerged victorious over his rivals. He hopes that the team will be able to provide faster cars so that he can compete for wins in the upcoming races.
