Last-lap pass for the win spells heartbreak for Ryan Blaney

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – One of the wildest finishes of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season left Ryan Blaney heartbroken after Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Blaney lost the lead in the final corners of Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400.

Before all of that, Blaney and Kyle Larson were in the thick of an intense battle for the win. With 11 laps to go, Larson sent it three-wide between leader Blaney and the lap car of Austin Dillion. Larson made contact with Blaney and spun himself out. 

On the restart with eight laps to go, Blaney and Hamlin duked it out for the lead. Meanwhile, Reddick was on older tires in third.

Blaney, Hamlin and Reddick were bumper-to-bumper up front when they took the white flag. Reddick sent it low into turn one to pass Hamlin, setting him up to fight Blaney for the win. 

Reddick’s older tires somehow powered him past Blaney in turn four, wrapping up one of the wildest playoff races and cementing heartbreak for the No. 12 team. They will now likely have to win at Martinsville Speedway to advance. 

“I don’t know how else you want me to describe it. It stings,” Blaney said. “Hard fought, man. I ended up having to pass the 11, finally got by him and I just didn’t really have a good last lap. I didn’t really get to the bottom like I wanted to in [turns] one and two and it kind of gave the 45 a little clean air. And he got shoved by the 11 down the back. I didn’t know which way he was gonna go, honestly.” 

Blaney went from advancing to the Championship 4 to being -38 points to the cutline heading into Martinsville. Finishing fourth in stage one and fifth in stage two and leading 47 laps, almost all for naught in the playoffs. 

While the situation is pretty much a must-win now at Martinsville, Blaney is in a similar situation as last season. Last year, he won at the Virginia short track, giving his team confidence to overcome his disadvantage next week. 

“Just gotta ride the wave,” he said. “There’s good times and bad times in this deal. Sometimes bad times come from good times and good times come from bad times. And sometimes you have to make good times out of bad ones. A rollercoaster for sure. The playoffs have been crazy for us.”