Ryan Blaney makes no excuses after third-place finish at Iowa
Ryan Blaney was set for a big day at Iowa Speedway on Sunday. Starting on pole, Blaney had an opportunity to make another big push up the NASCAR Cup standings with a win at the short track. Blaney had a good day, leading for 129 of 350 laps — more than any other driver in the field — but ultimately finished third. After winning the first stage of the race, Blaney battled near the front ... Keep…
Ryan Blaney began the day in pole position at Iowa Speedway, setting himself up for a chance to climb higher in the NASCAR Cup standings with a victory at the short track. While he led for 129 of the 350 laps, Blaney ultimately took third place. After winning the first stage, he fought near the front but ultimately lost the race to a two-man battle between Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs as Blaney trailed by a few seconds.
During post-race interviews, Blaney dismissed the pit stop in the middle of the race, where he chose four tires over two, as a potential reason for his loss of lead, stating it was "a little bit" but he believed it would "play out pretty good." Blaney and the 54 were better than his competitors in the second half of the race. Despite not securing a win, Blaney reflected on the weekend positively, highlighting a good practice, qualifying, and a strong race performance.
His third-place finish was enough to surpass Tyler Reddick, whose day ended early, but it was still not enough to overtake Ty Gibbs, who claimed victory and moved into second place ahead of Blaney with just three weeks remaining before the Chase. Looking ahead to Richmond, Blaney expressed confidence in his team and the upcoming track, which he believes will suit them well.
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