Ryan Blaney races to first NASCAR
Cup Series victory of the year at Nashville
[June 02, 2025]
By TERESA M. WALKER
LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Blaney and Team Penske have been fast
with his No. 12 Ford Mustang this year only to have races slip away
when it mattered most.
Not Sunday night.
Blaney ran away down the stretch for his first Cup Series victory of
the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, then he celebrated
with a burnout in front of the roaring fans after what he called a
rough year.
“I'm ready to go celebrate,” Blaney said.
The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with five top-five finishes
over the first half of this season. He finally got to victory lane
for his 14th career victory and first since Martinsville in November
after leading a race-high 139 laps.
“I never gave up hope that’s for sure," Blaney said. "We’ve had
great speed all year. It just hasn’t really been the best year for
us as far as good fortune. But (No.) 12 boys are awesome. They stick
with it no matter how it goes.”
He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth
driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team
Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville's 1.33-mile concrete
track.
Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he
won the second stage. He easily held off Carson Hocevar by 2.83
seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best finish at Atlanta in
February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet
was undriveable.
Either I’m really dramatic or they’re really good on adjustments," Hocevar said. "Probably a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of
this group proud of this car. A place that is really, really
difficult to pass, we’re able to go 26th to second.”
Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup Series race,
matching the third-place finish by Jeff Gordon at Darlington in 2013
for the best finish in a driver’s 700th race. Joey Logano, who won
here last year, was fourth and William Byron fifth.
Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came after seven
cautions for 35 laps.
“Just couldn’t run with the 12 (Blaney) there in the super long
run," Hamlin said. "After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But
then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.”
There was a sprint to the finish under green forcing teams and
drivers to pick and choose went to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when
he went to the pits under green flag on lap 248. Hamlin took the
lead before going to pit road on lap 256.
Crew chief Jonathan Hassler said they decided on Blaney's fifth and
final pit stop trying to make sure he could get back out into the
cleanest air possible.
[to top of second column] |
The pit crew for Ryan Blaney rushes to work on the car during a
NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Lebanon, Tenn.
(AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“It was really nice just to finish off a race,”
Hassler said.
Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269.
Blaney took the lead for the final 31 laps.
Waiting on a call
Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting
spot spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would
chase his third win this season had been in question with his third
child, a boy, due the same day.
Hamlin practiced and qualified well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota
even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin
got the call that his fiancee was in labor. Hamlin won the first
stage and survived the final stretch without water or fresh air.
Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing
team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media
earlier Sunday.
His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then
Reddick followed up hours later by finishing 26th in the Coca-Cola
600 at Charlotte.
Early night
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't finish his first race this year. He was
the first out when Hocevar tapped his No. 47 Chevrolet, spinning
Stenhouse into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 for the second caution
of the race on lap 106.
Punishment and more penalties possible?
AJ Allmendinger started at the back of the field and served a
stop-and-go penalty after the green flag for an unapproved
adjustment to the splitter during Saturday's practice. His No. 16
Chevrolet was sent back to the garage and then the scanning station
before practice and qualifying.
The No. 66 Ford of Chad Finchum failed inspection twice leading to
engineer Austin Webb's ejection. The Garage 66 team also lost pit
stall selection.
Up next
NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Cup Series
on June 8.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
