Ryan Blaney celebrates in the victory lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
LOND POND, Pa. — Ryan Blaney returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, the site of his first career NASCAR Cup Series win and his second victory in the last five races this season.
Blaney, a native of Hartford Township in Trumbull County, made it a weekend sweep for Team Penske — Scott McLaughlin and Will Power won IndyCar races at Iowa Speedway for the 87-year-old Roger Penske.
The 2023 NASCAR champion, Blaney won the inaugural Cup race last month at Iowa Speedway and added two more top 10 finishes headed into Pocono. The Team Penske driver’s summer success in the No. 12 Ford has stamped him a legitimate threat to win a second straight championship.
“I definitely I think we’re a better spot at this time than where we were last year,” Blaney said. “I feel like our speed’s better. Our execution’s great.”
Blaney was dialed in on the 2.5-mile track and was never seriously challenged over the final 10 laps by runner-up Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman. Hamlin holds the Pocono record with seven career wins; Bowman won last’s week Chicago Street Race.
Bowman and Hamlin were fast.
Just not fast enough to catch Blaney in front of another packed house at Pocono.
Hamlin, the defending race winner, was in hot pursuit over the final six laps but could never nip at Blaney’s Ford.
“I knew our car was fast enough,” Blaney said.
Blaney now has 12 career Cup wins dating back to the first one when he took the checkered flag for the Wood Brothers in 2017 at Pocono.
“It’s awesome to be back,” in victory lane, Blaney said. “It was super special to win here seven years ago with the Wood Brothers. It’s just as special to win here today.”
William Byron was fourth and Joey Logano fifth.
Blaney already knows the importance of getting hot late in the season. Blaney turned up his performance last season in the No. 12 Ford in the playoffs. Over the final six weeks, Blaney racked up two wins, two runner-ups and didn’t finish lower than 12th. Blaney’s first career title was the fourth Cup championship for Team Penske and 44th overall for the storied organization.
PACKED HOUSE
Pocono announced a sellout crowd for the second straight year.
One problem, because of heavy rain and severe weather early in the morning that forced staff to seek shelter, traffic was a nightmare around Pocono. Fans complained routine rides were stretched by several hours, with the worst standstill actually occurring on roads inside the track leading to parking lots.
“This unforeseen situation caused an unprecedented delay in our parking operations,” Pocono said in a statement. “As a company that prides itself on honesty and transparency, we will make this right for those affected.”
EARLY DAYS
Ross Chastain was knocked out of the race after just 53 laps, putting a serious dent in his playoff push. Chastain entered 53 points ahead of the 17th-place driver.
Kyle Busch was also turned and ignited a late wreck that kept him from gaining the points he needed to try to creep back into the playoff race and also kept him winless this season. Busch has won a Cup race every year since 2005.
Noah Gragson snagged a ride this week with Front Row Motorsports for 2025. At Pocono, Gragson was the first driver out, with issues only 13 laps into the race in the No. 10 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing.
UP NEXT
NASCAR returns to the 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 30-year anniversary of stock cars racing at the historic venue. NASCAR raced on the oval from 1994 through 2020, but under Roger Penske’s ownership of IMS the race was held on the 2.439-mile road course the last three seasons as part of a shared weekend with the IndyCar Series.
“It’s just a big event,” Hamlin said. “It’s still over time, some of the best cars with the best engines, best aerodynamics, best execution on pit road, all of those things equals a win at that track.”