The straightforward Kansas track dished out unexpectedly twisted outcomes in the second playoff race of the season. In a four-way tussle between #11, #5, #43, and #22, Tyler Reddick’s #45 Toyota made a mad dash past the checkered in the last two laps.

Kyle Larson’s 99 laps lead only amounted to a 4th-place finish. Championship contender Martin Truex Jr might not even qualify for the next round. And, the driver with the best average starting position at Kansas was deeply let down by Roger Penske‘s team.

Team Penske held back their #12 driver from a Top 10 finish

Ryan Blaney has showcased a fairly consistent performance this season. His Charlotte win qualified him for the playoffs halfway through the season. Despite recovering from a deadly crash, he continued his steady attempts to replicate that performance. The Hollywood Casino 400 was considered his best bet for a standout racing display. Alas, his greatest attempts faltered in the face of his team’s errors.

Team Penske’s #12 car started 17th on the grid but rapidly ascended to a Top 10 position within the first 25 laps of the race. Blaney finished 5th at the end of Stage 1 but a dramatically slow pit stop shuffled him back to 19th in the Stage 2 restart.

Despite that, he skillfully drove himself to the 2nd spot but his tires gave out and he wrestled in vain with a loose-handling car. After caution went out in Stage 3, Blaney’s team chose Reddick’s winning strategy of four new tires. But grappling with a loose situation destroyed Blaney’s Top 10 chances and he eventually finished 12th.

Blaney was overheard on the radio desperately saying, “So loose. Going looser. I can’t hang on to this dude, I’m struggling.”

Watch this story: Internal Battle in Ford Camp as Brad Keselowski Triggers Rivalry With Rejected Team Penske’s Star Driver

Nonetheless, Blaney’s skillful hold over the #12 collected stage points throughout the race.

Ryan Blaney is on the brink of next-round qualification despite Team Penske’s mistakes

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Ryan Blaney qualified 12th in the initial playoff standings and climbed his way up to 6th after the first two playoff races. With the race in Kansas, Blaney jumped 25 points over the cut-off line for the Round of 12. To confirm the spot, however, Blaney would have to ensure a faultless race at Bristol.

He sounded optimistic about his chances in the post-race interview. He was disappointed about the car issues but appreciated the speed of the Ford. Blaney was pleased with the cushioning granted by his stage points for the next race. He was certainly hopeful of another solid performance this weekend.

When asked how he felt after the race, Blaney responded, “Yeah, better than when we came in. Overall, not a bad day for our Wabash Ford Mustang. Was pretty decent on short runs. On long runs, we were just kinda fall off a little bit too hard. Just felt super loose and lost a little speed…But proud of the stage points we made. Proud of the short-run speed…Feel decent about the cut line. Have to go to Bristol and have another good day!”

The NASCAR fandom is also excited about another good day of racing at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Do you think Ryan Blaney would make the cut for the next round in Texas?

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