Avondale, Arizona — Ryan Blaney Team Penske swept the race at Phoenix Raceway by winning the Cup Series race on Sunday – a victory that denied tyler reddick This is his fourth consecutive win to start the NASCAR season.
Blaney was the race favorite after winning the season-final at Mile Oval the previous November, but he had to overcome at least three tire problems which caused him to lose track positions. he followed ty gibbs – On Sunday he passed the 49th car – taking the lead with 10 laps remaining and taking the 18th win of his career.
“Just perseverance,” Blaney said. “We made some mistakes that we learned from, improved, had to come from behind a few times. It’s nice to win, especially after a day like this. Not much can be said about it [team] To keep your head down and do what they do.”
As he celebrated at the front, his Ford began rolling and Blaney had to chase after him to make sure he was in park.
The win came during the weekend’s celebration of Team Penske’s 60th season of competition and during the “Desert Doubleheader,” which paired IndyCar and NASCAR together in Phoenix. David Malukas Won IndyCar Pole for Penske and then joseph newgarden Won the Saturday race; Joey Logano Won the pole for the Cup race and then Blaney completed the sweep.
“Everyone at Team Penske is really proud,” Blaney said. “We won at the weekend, Newgarden won yesterday, we won today. Can’t wait to see Roger.”
It was Ford’s first win this season as Reddick Michael JordanToyota, owned by 23XI Racing, set a NASCAR record by winning the first three races of the season.
christopher bell Reigning Cup champion Joe finished second in a Toyota for Gibbs Racing kyle larson Hendrick was third in the Chevrolet for Motorsports and Gibbs dropped to fourth.
denny hamlinJoe, who had lost the championship at this track the previous November, finished fifth as JGR drivers took three of the top five. Bell dominated the race in the same manner as Hamlin had in November, only to lose due to poor pit strategy, just like Hamlin.
In November, Hamlin took out four tires on the final lap and was defeated for the championship by Larson, who took out two tires. On Sunday, Blaney took two tires while Bell and Hamlin each took four.
“You win some, lose some,” said Bell, who led 176 of the 312 laps. “It’s sad, but on the positive side, I’m really proud of our whole team. It’s what kept us going. It was a day we needed.”
bubba wallace Was sixth for 23XI, William Byron Hendricks was seventh, and Reddick was eighth. Toyota drivers took six of the top 10 places.
“It would have been nice to make it four,” Redick said. “Scored the fourth most points that day… solid day. If we don’t want to win, we need days like this.”
The race was slowed by a record 12 cautions, most of which were caused by tire failure.
Gibbs replies
Ty Gibbs has chosen not to comment on the federal lawsuit filed by his grandfather’s race team against his former competition director, even after Chris Gebhardt’s court announcement claiming he left Joe Gibbs Racing in part because of the young driver.
Ty Gibbs said before the race on Sunday that he would let his performance on the track speak to his second consecutive fourth-place finish.
“Very happy with my team. Everybody, I’m with the right people. It makes a difference,” Gibbs said. “So we’re doing well because of that. It shows.”
Ty Gibbs is in his fourth full Cup season driving for his grandfather. Ty Gibbs was successful in NASCAR’s second-tier series, where he won 12 races and the 2022 championship by winning the finale in Phoenix. His father, Coy, was found dead in his Phoenix hotel room the morning after the championship.
Ty Gibbs moved to the Cup Series in 2023 and went winless in 127 games. The 23-year-old finished a career-best 15th in the 2024 Cup standings.
alfredo out early
Contact between Joey Logano and Ross Chastain Caused a multi-car accident with less than 100 laps remaining that wrecked anthony alfredoStart of the season.
Alfredo got the call from Hendrick Motorsports this week to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet alex bowman Dizziness was ruled out. Alfredo has spent hundreds of hours inside the racing simulator over the past four years doing testing work for Hendrick and Sunday’s start was the best of his career.
Phoenix made Alfredo’s first Cup start of the season – he qualified for the Daytona 500 driving for Tiny Beard Motorsports, but his car was disqualified and forced from the field. Alfredo has made 43 career cup starts for minor teams. Due to the accident, he finished 33rd in his first race with NASCAR’s winningest team.
next
The Cup Series race will take place Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. josh berry The defending race winner is Denny Hamlin who won last time out.
