“Don’t Know What I Gotta Do”- Ryan Blaney Refuses to Call Out Roger Penske & Co. Amidst Failure to Shrug Off Worsening Bad Luck

Ryan Blaney was the guy to watch at St. Louis, kicking off from the third slot to the front row. It was his third top-5 start this year and at Gateway, proving he’s no stranger to the front of the pack. In his previous runs at the track, Blaney not only led both races but also finished sixth or better each time. His car was a beast in practice too, clocking top-5 speeds across the board.

Given Blaney’s track record at the World Wide Technology Raceway, combined with his practice speeds and Team Penske’s knack for nailing it on shorter, flatter tracks, everyone was banking on him to be a serious contender in the #12 Ford. True to form, he was in the thick of it, gunning for the win. Unfortunately, it seems like luck and fuel just weren’t in his corner today.

Ryan Blaney loses the race to his fate

In a surprising twist at the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway, Austin Cindric scooped up the win when his teammate, Ryan Blaney, ran out of gas, just on the final lap. Ryan Blaney, the defending Cup Series champ, was all set for his first victory of the season after holding off a strong push from Christopher Bell.

However, Cindric, who had stopped for fuel just a lap after Blaney, jumped on the opportunity and grabbed his second career win—his first being the 2022 Daytona 500. Blaney and Bell had been neck-and-neck for the lead for several laps. Bell had just edged out in front when he had to back off, reporting engine troubles to his team. He ended up seventh, with some help from teammate Martin Truex Jr, who pushed him on the straightaways in the last few laps.

The leader of the final lap, ended up in P24, just managing to limp across the finish line on the lead lap. During his pit road interview, despite his obvious disappointment, Ryan Blaney did not blame his loss on anyone from the team for the apparent strategic pit stop earlier. In fact, being a better man, he didn’t miss a beat in congratulating the #2 team.

In the interview, Blaney didn’t mention his misery; instead, he said, “Never thought in my mind we were short, but it’s one of those things. […] Just one lap short. It just stinks, but congrats to the #2 team. They did a good job all day. Props to them. Really happy with our showing today. I don’t know what I gotta do to get some luck on our side. Wrecked the last two points races and I thought we had a great shot to win today and ended up bad.” Even Austin Cindric, who took the win, felt a pang of heartache despite it being his second career victory.

The winner felt the sting despite his victory at Gateway Motorsports Park

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Since his 2022 Daytona 500 win, Cindric’s been having a rough go of it. He rolled into Sunday’s race sitting P20 in the standings, a slide from finishing P24 last season with only five top-10s under his belt. It had been a long 85 races without a win since his Daytona shocker two years ago.

Blaney took the lead with 64 laps left in the 240-lap race after a strategic pit stop. He was banking on that full tank of gas to see him through, but it turns out, his tank wasn’t topped off as planned. He hit the radio, his car sputtering, to tell his crew he was running on fumes, and he coasted over the finish line in P24.

Blaney’s gamble looked smart at first. That final pit stop was supposed to be his ticket to riding out the race. But instead of a top-5 finish, he plummeted below 20th. While it was a banner day for Austin Cindric, he couldn’t help but feel for Blaney. In his post-race chat, Cindric shared, “Honestly, I’m heartbroken for (Blaney’s) team. I don’t know what happened to them at the end of the race. They deserved to win this race. Ryan has been a hell of a leader on this team.”

Christopher Bell also hit a rough patch, facing his own car issues as the race wound down. Despite the troubles, he managed to eke out at least a top-10 finish. Unlike Blaney, who came down to P24 in less than 24 seconds in the last lap, Do you think the No. 12 team and Team Penske owe Blaney an explanation, or will they silently celebrate the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver’s second career win?