NASCAR: Blaney wins EchoPark Speedway thriller

Written by Ashton Hughes

Credit: Meg Oliphant via Getty Images

Ryan Blaney emerged victorious at EchoPark Speedway, starting on pole and sweeping the stages to claim his second victory at the track.

As it unfolded

Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano led the field to the green flag. Blaney maintained the top spot from the outset.

After starting in the top 10, Brad Keselowski got into the wall on the second lap but was able to continue. No caution was thrown.

Blaney was followed closely by his two Ford teammates, all showing the same dominance they displayed in qualifying. Carson Hocevar was on the move early, passing 10 cars in the first 30 laps to take the fourth position. Meanwhile, previous EchoPark Speedway winner Tyler Reddick moved up 24 spots in the same amount of time. He passed Kyle Larson for sixth just past the halfway mark of Stage 1. A few laps later, he found himself sitting right behind the Team Penske cars in fourth.

A three-wide move on Lap 46 shuffled Austin Cindric from third into fifth. Larson advanced to the second spot and was side by side with Blaney for the lead a moment later. He faded to third as Reddick launched his attack on Blaney. An extra challenge presented itself to the dueling drivers as they had to navigate lapped traffic. Blaney fended off the charge from Reddick, crossing the line first to claim Stage 1.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

2. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

3. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

4. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

5. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

6. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

7. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

8. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)

9. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

10. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

Credit: Meg Oliphant via Getty Images

Reddick and Larson got off pit road first during the stage break, pushing Blaney back to third for the restart. Reddick got a good start in the outside lane initially, but the inside line powered back to stay even. Intensity picked up, with Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon both going for the lead in the first few green flag laps. Blaney's momentum returned, and he and Larson both slipped past Reddick's inside on Lap 73. The top two exchanged positions before Hocevar joined them in the battle. Hocevar prevailed and led several dozen laps until Blaney overtook him again. Bubba Wallace moved into the top three, joined by Christopher Bell and Reddick.

Weather had been a perpetual threat to green flag conditions, with dark clouds constantly moving in and out of the area. On Lap 108, the threat was realised, with a caution being thrown for lightning. Officials displayed the red flag a lap later, prompting the field to park on pit road. At the time of caution, Blaney, Wallace, Reddick, Bell and Elliott held the top five positions.

The red flag lasted over three hours. Once it was lifted, most of the field opted to pit. Blaney's team made a fuel-only stop, deciding against changing tyres. He was first out of the pits, keeping him in the lead for the restart on Lap 123, with Bubba Wallace to his inside.

Blaney held the lead, facing challengers in Wallace and Logano. Cars constantly jockeyed for position from second on back.

With track conditions vastly different than they had been hours before, some drivers reaped the benefits. Daniel Suarez and Denny Hamlin showed more speed than they had all day, both cracking the top 10 with improved handling in their cars.

Hocevar suffered a flat tyre as the laps wound down in Stage 2, setting him off the pace and eliminating his chances of earning stage points. On the final lap of stage, Wallace spun off the front bumper of Ty Gibbs while fighting Cindric for fifth, sliding through the infield. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney captured his second stage win of the night.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

2. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

3. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

4. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

5. No. 7 - Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports)

6. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

7. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

8. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)

9. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

10. No. 97 - Shane Van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

Credit: Meg Oliphant via Getty Images

Gibbs and Cindric were the first off pit road and controlled the restart. Blaney paid the cost of his previous fuel-only stop, dropping back in the pack.

As cars began to fan out to three abreast, Joe Gibbs Racing began to look strong, with Gibbs, Bell and Hamlin taking turns in the top five. Larson, Van Gisbergen, Jones and Chris Buescher also moved up the running order in the top 10.

A.J. Allmendinger spun on the front straightaway on Lap 194, bringing out a caution.

The ensuing pit stops saw a variety of strategies being played. Bell and Larson emerged as the frontrunners after taking two tyres.

Blaney rocketed to the lead soon after the restart, but Bell and Chase Elliott pursued closely. Drivers all throughout the top 10 furiously swapped positions lap after lap as they entered the last half of the stage.

A.J. Allmendinger confronted more problems with 29 laps remaining, hitting the turn four wall hard and bringing out a caution. Simultaneously, Blaney made significant contact with the wall when blocked by Bubba Wallace for the lead. Damage appeared to be minimal and he preserved his place in second.

Eleven cars stayed on track during the caution, including most of the frontrunners. The restart with 23 laps to go saw Hocevar contend for the lead with Blaney, having fully recovered from his tyre issues earlier.

Kyle Larson spun off turn four just inside 20 laps remaining, prompting another caution.

Blaney and Hocevar raced side by side for the lead for multiple laps before being split up by Bell and Wallace. A caution was issued for wreck on the backstretch with six laps to go. Larson, Chase Briscoe, Riley Herbst, Austin Hill, Ty Dillon, Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin were involved.

Hocevar and Blaney led the field to green in NASCAR Overtime. Hocevar pulled away, but Blaney powered by in a three-wide move on the final turn of the last lap to take the lead and claim his 19th Cup Series victory, closing out a dream weekend for the No. 12 team.

Drivers advancing to the Semifinals of the In-Season Challenge are Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and Todd Gilliland.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

2. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

3. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

4. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

5. No. 42 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)

6. No. 97 - Shane Van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

7. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

8. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

9. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

10. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

11. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

12. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

13. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

14. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

15. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

16. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

17. No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)

18. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)

19. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

20. No. 10 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing)

21. No. 7 - Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports)

22. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

23. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports)

24. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)

25. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

26. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)

27. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)

28. No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (Trackhouse Racing)

29. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)*

30. No. 38 - Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

31. No. 33 - Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing) [+2 laps]

32. No. 51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing) [+4 laps]

33. No. 66 - Chad Finchum (Garage 66) [+4 laps]

34. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [+5 laps]

35. No. 35 - Riley Herbst (23XI Racing) [DNF]

36. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [DNF]

37. No. 16 - A.J. Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing) [DNF]

38. No. 78 - B.J. McLeod (Live Fast Motorsports) [DNF]

*finished second but was penalised for advancing position below the yellow line