INDIANAPOLIS — As two of the very best drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ryan Blaney of Team Penske and Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports set the bar pretty high for the rest of the drivers in the series to reach.
Both have mutual respect and an intense rivalry with one another.
Blaney respects Larson’s incredible ability and talent as the most versatile racing star in North America. He proves that weekly by competing in High Limit Sprint Cars, World of Outlaws, grassroots late models, the NASCAR Cup Series, and this past May, the 108th Indianapolis 500.
Larson adapted to the high-speed Indy cars so well, he gave Arrow McLaren Hendrick Motorsports another solid challenger for the Indianapolis 500.
If not for a pit road speeding penalty near the halfway point of the race, Larson could have been in contention for a top-five finish, or even a victory.
He won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award for his entire performance for the month of May.
As for Blaney, well, sometimes he believes Larson is NASCAR’s “golden boy.”
He uttered those exact words on a late-race restart when race leader Brad Keselowski was trying to make it to the finish on an empty tank of gas. Just before the green flag waved for the restart, Keselowski hit the gas pedal, and the engine choked and puked before cutting off.
He quickly drove the No. 6 Ford to pit road, allowing Larson to move up to the inside of the front row after electing the inside of Row 2 at the choose v, which infuriated Blaney. The No. 12 car remained on the outside of the front row.
By taking the inside line, Larson was now even with the race leader and had the preferred line, making his quest for victory much easier.
“He’s NASCAR’s (bleeping) golden boy,” Blaney screamed over his radio to his race team.
Blaney had even more time to think it over because there was a three-car pileup in turn 1 that involved Alex Bowman, Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek caused enough damage the race was red-flagged.
Blaney had to park his car behind Larson’s Chevrolet on the frontstretch during the entire red flag period.
On the second attempt at overtime, the front half of the field made it through turns 1 and 2 safely, but in the back half, Ryan Preece’s Ford spun out of turn 2 and slid across the apron facing backward.
Instead of hitting the caution light, NASCAR officials kept it green until Larson, Blaney, pole winner Tyler Reddick and others took the white flag.
After they made it into turn 1, the yellow light came on and the race was over. All Larson had to do to claim the victory was coast around the 2.5-mile oval to the checkered flag.
Reddick finished second and Blaney third, but Blaney was despondent over Larson getting the advantage with the choose v.
When asked what NASCAR should have done, Blaney’s explanation was simple.
“Yeah, call it off and rechoose, because now you promote the third-place guy before the second-place guy if the leader has problems,” Blaney explained. “That isn’t right. It is just dumb luck, especially at this race track where the bottom is preferred.
“I don’t know. I am just upset.
“That is a heartbreaker. We did everything right today. We were in prime position to win, and it just didn’t work out for us. I just got unlucky.
“I am not going to sleep very good tonight; I will tell you that. I appreciate Team Penske and everybody for the fast car. We have been super-fast, and it showed again today.
“It just wasn’t meant to be.”
Blaney called the race “hard fought” and believes he had a great shot at the win.
“Our car was fast, and I thought we had really good strategy,” Blaney said. “We were the front guy of having to save a little bit of gas, but I thought we put ourselves in a great spot.
“I knew the 6 (Keselowski) was probably going to run out if it went green.
“We came to the restart, and I couldn’t believe they stayed out. There was no way they were going to make it. So I obviously chose the top because he might run out in the restart zone. And he winds up coming to the green, so he gets to go to pit road and the 5 gets promoted.
“Luck of the day right there, I guess.
“I don’t even know what to get mad about. I am mad about losing this race because I thought we were in the perfect position. Once I lost control of the race, obviously I would have been on the bottom, but I thought the 6 would run out in the restart zone or on the back. It stinks to lose it that way. I appreciate the effort. I hate we don’t get to celebrate with Mr. Penske and with everyone from Penske here. That stings a lot.
“We just have to keep going, that is all we can do.”
Blaney was determined to give team owner and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske a sweep of the top races at the Speedway in 2024. Team Penske swept the Front Row for the 108th Indianapolis 500 in May with Scott McLaughlin winning the pole, Will Power second fastest and Josef Newgarden on the outside of Row 1.
Newgarden went on to become the first driver with back-to-back Indianapolis 500 victories since Helio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002 with his dramatic win on May 26.
Team Penske swept the major races at Iowa Speedway with Blaney winning the Iowa Corn 350 Presented by Ethanol on June 16, McLaughlin winning the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart on July 13 and Will Power winning the Hy-Vee OneStep 250 presented by Gatorade on July 14.
Blaney was ready to break out the brooms by completing a sweep at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, before he was swept up in the emotions of seeing his biggest rival claim another major victory.