Ryan Blaney is thrilled for NASCAR Cup Sequence victory at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday evening within the Cracker Barrel 400.
Claiming his first victory of the 2025 season, Ryan Blaney is thrilled for his group Sunday evening within the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Sequence champion led a commanding, race-best 139 of the 300 laps to lastly safe that all-important Playoff place.
Ryan Blaney’s Thrilling Victory
Blaney has come so shut this season to hoisting a trophy solely to have random racing dangerous luck break his coronary heart and problem his resolve. However Sunday, the game’s fashionable 31-year-old, third-generation racer finally drove his No. 12 Workforce Penske Ford to a 2.830-second win over 22-year-old Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar in a 103-lap inexperienced flag run that closed out the race.
Climbing on prime of his Ford, Blaney expressed his thrill by elevating his arms in triumph after which leaping off the automotive to run up and into the observe’s entrance grandstands to say the checkered flag earlier than handing it off to an excited younger fan.
“I by no means gave up hope that’s for certain,’’ mentioned Blaney, whose victory places all three drivers of the reigning champion Penske group into the 2025 Playoffs.
“We’ve had adversity, and this hasn’t actually been yr for us when it comes to success, however the 12-boys are superior. They keep it up regardless of the way it goes.”
The victory is the 14th of his profession together with his final win coming at Martinsville final November to qualify for the ultimate 4 championship.
Hocevar’s runner-up end ties a career-best effort turned in at Atlanta in February.
“It simply proves how robust this group is to go from the frustration final week,” mentioned Hocevar, who seemed robust and led laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway final Sunday solely to retire early with mechanical issues. “Sticking to it and having a shot, simply happy with this group.
“We have been one spot quick once more, however hopefully it is a step in the suitable path,’’ he added.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who gained the opening stage and led 79 laps, completed third regardless of his helmet hose and hydration system points. Blaney’s Penske teammate Joey Logano completed fourth with present NASCAR Cup Sequence championship chief, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron rounding out the top-five.
“Simply couldn’t run with the 12 there within the tremendous future, after 40 laps I may keep with him, however after that he’d simply draw back and stretch it on us,’’ mentioned Hamlin, whose fiancé Jordan is anticipating to ship the couple’s third youngster at any time.
Defending Winner and 2024 Champion Comes Up Brief
Logano, the defending race winner additionally led laps however finally wasn’t capable of problem on the finish giving up positions to Hocevar and Hamlin.
“The 12 was simply lights out which gave them an enormous lead and we simply weren’t capable of maintain onto second, the 11 [Hamlin] bought by me,’’ Logano mentioned, including, “Good execution and happy with Workforce Penske. All our vehicles have a win now and that’s fairly spectacular to have everyone with a win. All of the groups are actually robust.’’
23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, Legacy Motor Membership’s Erik Jones, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and JGR’s Christopher Bell rounded out the highest ten. The hassle marked a very vital comeback for Larson, who began twenty eighth on the grid and was concerned in an incident on lap 115.
There have been 18 lead modifications in all amongst 9 drivers. Hamlin (stage one) and Blaney (stage two) declare the stage wins.
Setting Up NASCAR’s In-Season Problem
New this yr, the Nashville race units the 32-car area for the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Problem. A bracket-style event takes place through the TNT broadcast’s five-race stretch this summer time. The event begins June 28 at Atlanta adopted by the races at Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis. The winner receives a $1 million prize.
The subsequent three races – Michigan, Mexico Metropolis’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez and Pocono – will set the bracket seeding. That’s primarily based on a driver’s finest end out of these races.
Former collection champion Brad Keselowski claims the thirty second place for the competitors. He edges out Trackhouse Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen solely 21 factors.
Byron continues to steer the NASCAR Cup Sequence championship standings. He’s now 48 factors up on Hendrick Motorsports teammate Larson. There are solely 12 common season races remaining to set the 16-driver Playoff area. Their teammate Chase Elliott, who completed fifteenth Sunday, is the highest-ranked driver (fifth) with out a win.
Up Subsequent
The NASCAR Cup Sequence returns to motion subsequent Sunday afternoon, June eighth. The Firekeeper’s On line casino 400 at Michigan Worldwide Speedway begins at 2 p.m. ET. Protection is on the market on Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Reddick is the defending winner on the two-mile speedway – historically one of many drivers’ favourite venues on the schedule.
