Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney dropped the ball in the final lap at Homestead, allowing Tyler Reddick to make a pass on him for the win. This was the argument and complaint a few racing enthusiasts made on social media. Having made the pass on Denny Hamlin a lap before, Blaney certainly should’ve known better. But what led him to make that choice?

Well, if that was an easy decision, Blaney would be the one looking forward to defending his title, but it is not. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was baffled by his choice of affording the room to Reddick, knowing that he was likely to make the move.

Did Ryan Blaney make a mistake at Homestead?

Not all race car drivers can hug the outside wall at the mile-and-a-half track in Miami to gain that extra speed. But Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick are the two who looked quite comfortable doing that. The HMS driver even had a flat tire trying to put the limits in running the high lane. On the other hand, Reddick was a smooth operator when it came to switching grooves, be it top or bottom.

Having passed Hamlin for the lead, the ideal lane choice at Homestead is arguably the top lane. But Blaney certainly left the door open for Reddick when he chose to roll the middle lane, hoping that he would be able to block a dive bomb move, which never came. Instead, he was left high and dry, seeing the #45 make the bold move on the outside lane.

Reflecting on the last lap drama, Dale Earnhardt Jr. opined, “Every race that I’ve ever watched there in the Xfinity car and any other car, I see that pass happening 9/10 times. I’m definitely expecting the car that Reddick’s driving to make that pass more often than not. What about with the Next Gen car that gives Blaney the confidence that his choice, his lane choice, was the right one even though he didn’t succeed?”

In response, T.J. Majors shares his take on what could’ve played a part in Blaney’s decision-making process. “I think that Blaney decided on that lane; he passed Denny there. I feel like he thought that it was his fastest line at the time. With a guy like Tyler or Kyle Larson, if they’re behind you, those guys are going to the fence. You take that away no matter what.”

Blaney now finds him in a must-win scenario going into the Martinsville race weekend. He certainly isn’t going to be able to cut down a 38-point deficit with points racing. Stating his disappointment from the race, Blaney stated, “I try not to stew over these things, I just try to learn from them and be like, ‘Well, this probably would’ve been the best route to do, and maybe if you’re in that spot next time, do that.’ But try not to sit around and let it eat me because then you’re gonna go crazy.”

So will Blaney make amends for his error and bounce back this weekend?

Blaney needs to recreate his 2023 season-end run

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Call it coincidence or destiny, the Penske star is on the verge of repeating his title-winning run of 2023. He found himself in a similar situation with his backs against the wall going into the Martinsville race after a runner-up finish in Homestead last year. Now, all he needs to do is repeat his past heroics and win at the half-mile oval at Martinsville to stay alive in the championship race.

“It will suck for the night, then we’ll look forward to Martinsville tomorrow morning. We try to forget things quick. I’ve tried to do that more and more as I’ve gotten older, move on to the next thing, good, bad or indifferent, focus on the task. This team will do it. Yeah, I can’t say how proud I am of them coming in and understanding what we needed to do. Just a shame it didn’t work out.” Ryan Blaney said this after the race.

The real issue for him though is that the likes of Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Denny Hamlin are also looking to win at Martinsville. If he does manage to see these threats out, he will become an automatic favorite then for the Phoenix finale race.