SPEEDWAY, Ind. – No matter what, losing the Brickyard 400 is hard to swallow. It’s even more difficult when you feel like circumstances beyond your control take away victory in NASCAR’s crown jewel race.
Ryan Blaney was understandably angry after finishing third in Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The problem for the reigning Cup champion, however, is that he’s not sure where to direct his anger.
He took a huge hit on the track and every driver wanted to kiss the brick in celebration. Winning here is a major achievement. Blaney was very close.
“I was angry, but I didn’t know who to be angry at. Like there was no one to be angry at,” Blaney said. “It’s just racing luck.
“I’m just angry. It’s just too bad, man.
Kyle Busch spun and went under Denny Hamlin as he entered turn three, sending the race into overtime while It also adds to the fuel mileage restrictions many people already face, which sparked Blayney’s frustration.
Leader Brad Keselowski was one of those in danger of running out, opting for an impossible Hail Mary in the hope that he would reach the finish line, so he opted not to score during the warning period Stop to cheer. Sure enough, when the race was about to resume and Keselowski was about to reach the start and finish line, his fuel tank was depleted, prompting him to rush into the pits just as he exited the track at Turn 4.
That left Blaney in the lead, with Kyle Larson slipping into second. But Blaney had chosen the less favorable outside lane and Larson was now on the inside. NASCAR prohibits drivers from re-selecting lanes, giving Larson an advantage because if he could re-select, Blaney would have taken the inside lane.
Instead, despite being the race leader, Blaney felt like he was essentially a duck to the slaughter.
“I can easily say if the leader runs out on the restart, wave off the green and reselect because you’re now lifting the guy in third to where I was screwed,” Blaney explain. “I was the one who got screwed. So the guy in third benefited, and the guy behind me benefited.
“If it were any other place, it wouldn’t be that bad because in the second lane, you can in all other places, you can maintain. Here, it’s a death sentence. You can’t maintain the lead at the top of the front row.
As Blaney predicted, Larson took his chance as they accelerated into Turn One and took the lead. Larson later noted that he deliberately chose to restart directly behind Keselowski in the hope that he could move to the front if Keselowski ran out of fuel.
“We had a lot of communication over the radio about how Brad was going to really approach the fuel, and with those warnings he could run out of fuel,” Larson said. “No matter which lane he was in, I was going to be behind him. , just hoping he can get out before we get to the restart area.
“Yeah, he just ducked into pit road. I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is exactly what we hoped and thought it would be.
Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson were 1-2-3 when Keselowski ran out of fuel and pitted. Larson then skated inside for the win. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Some wondered after the race if NASCAR should have allowed a reselection in this situation. This is not a problem with a simple solution.
At a 2.5-mile track like Indianapolis, one notable hurdle is the time it can take for the venue to reselect lanes. What happened on Sunday is also not common enough for NASCAR to re-evaluate the rule.
“I understand that’s emphasized because this is a race, this situation, because it’s the front row,” said Larson’s team principal Cliff Daniels. “We’ve seen this many times in the cup, starting from fifth, 10th, 20th. (Today was no exception.) Everyone knows this is the rule.
“In every other racing series you line up, take the green flag and move on. I just don’t think it’s a big issue.
On Sunday, though, Blaney was somewhat affected. This is indisputable. Even Larson admitted after the game that he benefited from Keselowski’s misfortune.
“The way the strategy worked, Brad ran out of fuel and I inherited the front row, a lot of things had to fall into place,” Larson said. “Thank God it did.”
The win, Larson’s first in Indianapolis, sparked a joyous celebration between himself, Daniels, team owner Rick Hendrick and team executive Jeff Gordon walked into the front row to celebrate with the fans. Larson has now won three of NASCAR’s crown jewel races.
Meanwhile, on pit road, things were decidedly less festive. After getting off the car, Blaney needed some time to decompress and chose to sit on the pit wall to calm down.
“We should win the game,” he said. “… Just disappointed. That really stinks. It’s just bad luck. We did everything right to get the win and he got the rest, which was great.
(Top photo of Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney during Sunday’s Brickyard 400: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
