AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Ryan Blaney completed a Team Penske sweep at Phoenix Raceway by winning the Cup Series race Sunday — a victory that denied Tyler Reddick a fourth consecutive win to start the NASCAR season.
Blaney was the race favorite after winning last November’s season-finale on the mile oval but he had to overcome at least three tire problems that cost him track position. He chased down Ty Gibbs — the 49th car he passed Sunday — to take the lead with 10 laps remaining and seal his 18th career victory.
"Just perseverance," Blaney said. "We had a couple mistakes that we learned from, got better, had to come from the back a couple times. It's cool to win, especially after a day like that. Can't say enough about the (team) for keeping their head down and doing what they do."
As he celebrated on the frontstretch, his parked Ford began to roll away and Blaney had to chase after it to ensure it was in park.
The victory came during a weekend celebration of Team Penske's 60th season of competition and during a "desert doubleheader" that bundled IndyCar and NASCAR together at Phoenix. David Malukas won the IndyCar pole for Penske and then Josef Newgarden won Saturday's race; Joey Logano won the pole for the Cup race and then Blaney completed the sweep.
"Really proud of everybody at Team Penske," Blaney said. "We swept the weekend, Newgarden winning yesterday, us winning today. Can’t wait to see Roger."
The win was the first this season for Ford as Reddick in a Michael Jordan-owned Toyota for 23XI Racing set a NASCAR record by winning the first three races of the season.
Christopher Bell finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson was third in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and Gibbs dropped to fourth.
Denny Hamlin, who lost the championship last November at this track, was fifth as JGR drivers took three of the top five positions. Bell dominated the race the same way Hamlin did in November and, just like Hamlin, lost because of the wrong pit strategy.
Hamlin in November took four tires on the final stop and was beat for the championship by Larson, who took two tires. On Sunday, Blaney took two tires while Bell and Hamlin each took four.
"You win some, you lose some," said Bell, who led 176 of the 312 laps. "This one stings, but on the positive side, I'm really proud of our entire team. It's something to build on. It was a day that we needed."
Bubba Wallace was sixth for 23XI, William Byron was seventh for Hendrick, and Reddick was eighth. Toyota drivers took six of the top 10 spots.
"It would have been nice to make it four," Reddick said. "Scored the fourth most amount of points on the day... solid day. If we’re not going to win, these are the kind of days we need to have."
The race was slowed by a record-tying 12 cautions, most caused by a rash of tire failures.
Alfredo out early
Contact between Joey Logano and Ross Chastain caused a multi-car crash with under 100 laps remaining that ruined Anthony Aldredo's season debut.
Alfredo got the call this week from Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet after Alex Bowman was ruled out with vertigo. Alfredo has spent hundreds of hours over the past four years inside a racing simulator doing test work for Hendrick and Sunday's start was the best opportunity of his career.
Phoenix marked 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 kicked out of the field. Alfredo has 43 career Cup starts for smaller teams. The crash caused him to finish 33rd in his first race with NASCAR's winningest team.
Up Next
The Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Josh Berry is the defending race winner and Denny Hamlin won last fall.
