HOMESTEAD, Fla. — For the second consecutive NASCAR season, Ryan Blaney has capped off the Cup Series season with a win, doing so at the track where Tyler Reddick once stole the win from him on the final lap.
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Back in 2024, Blaney had the lead on the final lap of the Homestead-Miami playoff race. A Championship 4 spot was on the line and within his grasp...until Reddick use the outside line to pass him coming onto the frontstretch.
Reddick took the spot in the Championship 4. Blaney had to wait to secure his spot until the following weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
"I tell you, last two years I've had nightmares about that finish (smiling)," Blaney said after the race. "It's nice to get a little redemption from that."
TYLER REDDICK PASSES RYAN BLANEY IN THE FINAL CORNER!
HE WINS AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI AND IS GOING TO THE NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP! pic.twitter.com/GtgwGyY6jb
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) October 27, 2024
The Team Penske driver entered Sunday's Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway mathematically eliminated from championship contention. That fact did not stop him from going out and scoring his third win of the season.
Blaney started ninth, but he worked his way to second before the end of stage 1. He then finished stage 2 in the fifth position. He continued running inside the top 10 during the final stage, and then he pulled off an important move.
He then passed Tyler Reddick for the lead with two laps remaining in the race. This put the 2023 Cup Series champion in control of the race, and he did not let go.
He went on to win at the same track where Reddick passed him on the final lap back in 2024 while using almost the exact same move. Blaney also recovered from an issue on pit road in which his team had to tighten a loose wheel after a pit stop.
Homestead rarely disappoints! @Blaney wins the final race of the season in exciting fashion! pic.twitter.com/KB0DLuU8o4
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 9, 2026
"Every time I come here, that race haunts me," Blaney said. "I kind of gave that one away. I didn't do a very good job at the end of that race. Learned from it. Was able to apply some stuff we learned a couple years ago in that situation to tonight.
"Pretty cool night battling back from coming down pit road. Car was really, really fast. I appreciate everybody for sticking with it. Even though we weren't part of the championship fight, our goal was to try to win the race, end on a high note, get the most points we can."
This win marked the fifth time in the past six seasons that Blaney has won at least three races. It also helped him move all the way to fourth in the standings and check off a team goal.
"Huge, massive," Blaney said about moving inside the top five in the standings. "Definitely being top five is fantastic. So yeah, it makes everyone feel good for the team. It's financially beneficial to finish as high as you can. That part was our goal.
"That was a tall order, fourth, coming into this weekend. I felt like we could maybe get to fifth. But with the 19 having problems, that opened that door up if we had a monster day. Fortunately we were able to."
