MADISON, Ill. — With two laps to go at World Wide Technology Raceway, defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney had his first win of the 2024 season well within his sights.
Arguably his most prominent challenger on the afternoon, Christopher Bell, suffered engine issues with 19 laps to go. He fell off the pace and limped home seventh after leading a race-high 80 circuits.
Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric started closing in on Blaney over the final laps, but unless something substantial happened, Blaney had his first win in the bag since Martinsville Speedway last fall.
Suddenly, Blaney’s car sputtered. He was out of fuel just before taking the white flag.
“I never thought in my mind we were short,” Blaney said after the race.
Cindric maneuvered past him down the frontstretch and cruised to his second career Cup victory and his first since the 2022 Daytona 500. Meanwhile, Blaney plummeted to a 24th-place finish in a matter of seconds.
While Cindric was elated with his victory, he still felt for his teammate and friend.
“I feel really bad for him,” Cindric said in his post-race press conference. “Heartbroken for those guys. I know it might sound cliché to say that, but I really do feel that way. Those guys are championship contenders.”
All three Penske cars were on the same strategy — one that could’ve potentially run Cindric out of fuel, as well.
On lap 175 of 240, Blaney came down pit road for his final stop of the day – just 31 laps after service following Stage Two. A lap later, Cindric came, followed by Joey Logano — who finished fifth — a lap after that.
According to a pre-race release from NASCAR, the fuel window around the 1.25-mile oval was 75 laps — meaning the strategy should’ve theoretically worked.
Cindric said he didn’t have any indication he’d be short on fuel. He didn’t realize that Blaney ran out until after making it to victory lane. After taking the checkered flag, Cindric completed a burnout with fuel remaining.
“I would have preferred to pit the same lap as him,” said Brian Wilson, Cindric’s crew chief. “They did a great job of disguising that. We felt that was going to be a half-second gain in lap time by pitting early. Felt like that was enough where we would come out even with him.
“It’s a situation where we would have liked to have been one lap early. We talk about all the communication, but a lot of times when it comes down to that when you’re racing each other, it’s ‘hey, we’re still competing.’
“Jonathan [Hassler, Blaney’s crew chief] made the call, and they came a lap before us. As far as the fuel situation, I can’t really speak to that, whether or not that was anything that had to do with the lap that they pitted on.”
But in a sense, the afternoon is bittersweet for Blaney. The No. 12 Ford Mustang team couldn’t have executed any better. They qualified third, finished there in each of the first two stages and led twice for 20 laps. Their strategy was unique and gave Blaney an unbelievable chance at recording Penske’s first points-paying victory of the season.
Instead, it was Cindric in a surprise victory that shook up the playoff grid.
Now, the waiting game continues for the 30-year-old. Blaney felt he could’ve won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before an early crash. He exited early at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway with a crash, as well.
After sitting sixth in driver’s points following Kansas Speedway, he’s now down to 12th.
“I’m really happy with our showing today,” Blaney said. “I don’t know what I’ve got to do to get some luck on our side. I’ve wrecked the last two points races and thought we had a great shot to win today and I ended up bad, so I just appreciate the effort.
“We just have to keep sticking with it.”