Blaney Rises to the Top in Phoenix!

Ryan Blaney survives multiple pit-road issues to fend off Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick’s bid for four consecutive wins. The No. 20 of Christopher Bell had to settle for second after leading a race-high 176 laps. Team Penske completed the Desert Double after Josef Newgarden won the IndyCar race on Saturday.

The story of the race was simple: survival. There were 12 total cautions, many of them caused by tire failures, turning the event into a battle of attrition.

Stage 1

The opening stage ran caution-free, with Ryan Blaney tracking down his teammate and pole-sitter Joey Logano to take the stage win. It marked Blaney’s sixth career stage victory at Phoenix Raceway.

Stage 2

Christopher Bell captured the Stage 2 win in a segment filled with chaos. Four cautions slowed the field, most of them tire-related incidents involving Busch, Briscoe, Zilisch, McDowell, Byron, Gragson, and Van Gisbergen.

The frantic restarts proved costly, as Suárez spun and collected Elliott and Berry in the melee.

Final Stage

The intensity only increased in the final stage.

On one restart, Preece spun to bring out another caution. The second restart triggered “the big one,” when Logano pushed Chastain, sending him spinning into Alfredo and Cindric, both taking heavy hits into the outside wall.

After a brief stretch of green-flag racing, Van Gisbergen spun for the second time. The following restart barely lasted a lap before a seven-car crash, which included pole-sitter Logano, brought out yet another caution.

Later, Dillon lost a tire, triggering another four-car pile-up and setting up a dramatic late-race restart with 11 laps to go. Teams faced a critical strategy call: four tires, two tires, or stay out.

Blaney, on older tires, quickly charged to the lead and held off Bell’s late push on fresh rubber to secure his first win of the season.

Moment of the Race

With nine laps to go, Blaney powered into the lead while Bell was buried deep in the top six despite having fresher tires. Track position ultimately proved decisive.

This victory moves Blaney up to second in the points standings, trailing Tyler Reddick by 60 points.

Top 10 – Phoenix

P1: Ryan Blaney #12

P2: Christopher Bell #20

P3: Kyle Larson #5

P4: Ty Gibbs #54

P5: Denny Hamlin #11

P6: Bubba Wallace #23

P7: William Byron #24

P8: Tyler Reddick #45

P9: Michael McDowell #71

P10: Erik Jones #43

The Cup Series heads to Las Vegas next week!