Ryan Blaney wins at Nashville for first NASCAR Cup Series checkered flag of the year
'I never gave up hope that's for sure,' Blaney said. 'We've had great speed all year. It just hasn't really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But [No.] 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.'
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He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville's 1.33-mile concrete track.
Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held off Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best finish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet was undriveable.
'Either I'm really dramatic or they're really good on adjustments,' Hocevar said. 'Probably a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of this group, proud of this car. A place that is really, really difficult to pass, we're able to go 26th to second.'
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't finish his first race this year. He was the first out when Hocevar tapped his No. 47 Chevrolet, spinning Stenhouse into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 for the second caution of the race on lap 106.
Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place finish by Jeff Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best finish in a driver's 700th race. Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth and William Byron fifth.
Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came after seven cautions for 35 laps.
'Just couldn't run with the 12 [Blaney] there in the super long run,' Hamlin said. 'After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.'
There was a sprint to the finish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose went to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits under green on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256.
Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269, and Blaney took the lead for the final 31 laps.
Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day.
Hamlin practiced and qualified well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his fiancee was in labor. Hamlin won the first stage.
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Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday.
His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by finishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Cup Series on June 8.
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