Ryan Blaney was in a scare after the Las Vegas race. Following a suspected violation in the left-front shock, Blaney was disqualified from the race and demoted to P36 after finishing in P6. However, after a thorough investigation, NASCAR rescinded the penalty and took ownership of the mistake, clearing the #12 team’s name. However, the uplifting of the penalty is the end of concerns for the 29-year-old. But alas, the Round of 8 has just gotten underway.

Blaney’s run in the playoffs has been better than what he displayed in the regular season. A significant improvement in the team’s strategy and addressing the mechanical issues that have haunted him all season have worked wonders. Yet he will feel a sense of tension within himself, considering he made his third straight Round of 8 appearance this season and has never run a race in the Championship 4.

Renowned insider Ryan Blaney feels Homestead will be crucial to his hopes of a championship race

Team Penske has only one driver in the penultimate round compared to last season. Defending champion Joey Logano experienced an unexpected elimination in the first round of the playoffs. That will worry the team since Logano was the spearhead of their title defense. Losing a two-time champion in the playoffs is not something Roger Penske would have wanted. But now that the event has transpired, all the focus has been on the #12 Mustang.

Famous NASCAR journalist Dustin Long believes that while Ryan Blaney has a genuine shot at going all the way, the road ahead of him is highly challenging. On top of his track record in the Round of 8, the pressure to avoid a must-win situation could drag him down in the next two races. Speaking to co-hosts Parker Kligerman and Kim Coon on NASCAR America Motormouths, Long stated,

“I think it’s going to be a challenge and look, obviously, a big help by having that disqualification rescinded instead of going into the last two races in a must-win situation. He can make it through points, but he’s going to need some help, and I think that the key for Ryan Blaney is who above him makes mistakes. He does not have the best record at Homestead.”

“I think he just has to kind of get through this weekend and put himself in a better position for Martinsville, and maybe he can make it through Martinsville. But I think this is a challenging track. The mile and a half has not been the best even though for Ford, even though Blaney does have that win in the Coca-Cola 600 this year. So, I think this is about managing Homestead to put yourself in as good a position as possible for Martinsville, and then I think he’s got a shot.”

Read More: After a Depressing Season for Team Penske, Can Ryan Blaney Overshadow Brad Keselowski as the Knight in Shining Armor for Ford?

Since February 2020, Blaney has had an average finishing position of 16.3 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in 3 starts. If we take races before that into account, Blaney has started eight times on the track with only one top 5 and an average finish of 18.6. That explains why Long feels Homestead will be necessary for him.

The high line could be the winning groove at Homestead

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Precise driving will play a key role for drivers at Homestead. The 1.5-mile oval is a massive test for eligible drivers, as all four turns have a pattern of progressive banking, implying that as a driver goes from the white line to the wall, the banking degree keeps increasing. The driver with the best recent record at the track is Martin Truex Jr., the regular season champion, with four podium finishes in the last six races. Having grabbed his first top-10 finish in the Las Vegas playoffs, he will look to regain his form.

Surprisingly, Truex has also been overtaken three times in the last five races at Homestead by the eventual race winners. That is not a good sign for Truex, considering his proximity to a must-win situation. The banking will play a considerable factor, and it plays right into the hands of Kyle Larson, a master at passing cars on that groove. Being one of the highest tire-wear tracks on the schedule, crashes and pit stops are to be expected.

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The excellent news for Blaney will be that Goodyear will use the same tire configuration they used in the Coca-Cola 600, a race that Blaney won. Should the same fortune favor him again, he’ll arrive in Phoenix with a win on his back and confidence on his face.