Defending champion Ryan Blaney had a challenging start at Martinsville as his Ford Mustang felt like it was not doing anything to improve till lap 60. Despite this, Blaney fought back and secured an impressive fifth-place finish. He expressed pride in the team’s resilience, turning what could have been a tough day into a positive outcome and finished off his race with P5 behind Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace, thanks to his game-changing strategy.
Blaney on the two tire stop bailing them out and getting them track position until they could get their car better for a top 5
Plus he apologizes to Elliott for getting into him. They're good. pic.twitter.com/pCNelZve7X
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) April 7, 2024
After falling to 11th place in the first stage due to handling issues, Blaney’s team made significant adjustments during pit stops. A potential loose wheel and a two-tire call helped them regain track position. The two-tire decision, suggested by crew chief Jonathan Hassler, propelled Blaney to eighth place for the final stage.
From there, Blaney’s pace improved, and he climbed to fifth, challenging Denny Hamlin for the position. Despite traffic slowing him down, Blaney held his ground and secured a top-five finish.
“I thought it just took a little bit to get back up [there], and the two-tire call was a good call,” Blaney said. “We were able to hang decent and all that. And then I was proud of our pace. Our pace after the green flag stop was really good. We went from 10th and got to fifth and then was all over the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) and just kind of used my stuff up getting there, and you get hit traffic and slow down 0.3s.”
Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney’s contact
At Martinsville, there was a minor incident involving Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. Although the two NASCAR champions raced hard, their interaction on the track was not a major issue. Ryan Blaney, showing sportsmanship, promptly apologized to Chase Elliott after a slight bump during the race. The camaraderie between these two drivers extends beyond the track, as they are close friends of the racing circuit.
“Oh yeah we just kind of run into each other down there,” Blaney told Matt Weaver of Sportsnaut. “He kind of like got out of shape, checked quick and I didn’t expect him to check and got into him. I [inaudible] to spin him out honestly. So lucky we were able to both keep going.”
In the same race, Ryan Blaney managed to rally and secured a 5th-place finish. On the other hand, Chase Elliott, part of the Hendrick Motorsports team, clinched a 3rd-place finish behind teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson.
READ MORE: Denny Hamlin’s Crew Chief Warns NASCAR if They Give Penalty to #11
