The Brickyard 400 resumed in dramatic fashion after three years. But Mother Nature had no hand in it this time, and the drivers spiced it up themselves. Ryan Blaney lingered in the top ten all day, maintaining his fierce charge to the front row till the end. But a series of anti-climactic events unfolded on the last lap that stole his winner’s hopes.

The Team Penske driver was far from happy with Kyle Larson. The latter benefitted from the last-lap shuffle, while Blaney lagged behind him. Yet post-race, Blaney chose to accept his fate and refrained from pointing fingers anymore.

Why did Ryan Blaney eat humble pie after all?

Well, NASCAR rules can be a bit complicated. Executives have been under fire recently for questionable judicial decisions. But the last-lap events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway were quite well-established. Kyle Larson was mired deep within the race field for most of the Brickyard 400; he was 23rd with 30 laps to go. But the Hendrick Motorsports star skyrocketed through the crowd, taking the 6th spot by lap 143. By lap 152, Larson was right behind Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski in the front row.

Then came the dramatic shuffle: race leader Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel on lap 161, and seconds later several cars bunched up into a wreck. Right then, Larson nosed past Blaney for the lead. So on the restart, the leader’s card was handed to Larson, and his rival fumed over the car radio.

Not just Larson; even Tyler Reddick overtook the Team Penske driver for a P2 finish. However, post-race, Ryan Blaney dialed down his frustration. “I’m pissed…I mean, I told my guys I’m ticked off. But I don’t know who to be ticked off at…It’s just racing luck.”

Contrary to his bashing NASCAR and their preference for the “golden boy,”  Ryan Blaney further analyzed the situation with an even hand, this time. “The break that he got and the hardship that we got with that happening at that time just killed our race. We put ourselves in the perfect spot to win. Weird circumstance…it benefitted him and killed our race and any chance for us to win. That’s what I’m gonna say, I’m not mad at anybody. It’s just Lady Luck, that’s what I’m pissed off at. It sucks, man.”

Despite Ryan Blaney’s soaring frustration, he continued his sizzling streak. Coming off a fresh victory in Pocono last weekend, the No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver hardly fell behind with a solid podium finish in Indianapolis as well. Overall, Blaney owns seven top-five finishes, including two resounding victories. This puts him in a prime spot to defend his 2023 championship title.

While Blaney maintained his dominance, it was redemption time for Kyle Larson. He soared to victory at the same track that broke his heart a few months ago. But what a historic day at the HMS garage!

Larson was overjoyed with the outcome

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Although the Brickyard 400 ended in extremely unpredictable circumstances, it still paved the way for Kyle Larson’s redemption. Back in May, the No. 5 Hendrick driver raced in the Indy 500 on the same track. A four-hour rain delay, a pit-stop penalty, and an 18th-place finish all staggered his run. Missing out on one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races hit the last nail in his coffin of misery. So to come back to the same pain-riddled track and conquer it for the first time, Larson was ecstatic.

As this is a 30-year-old repeat for Jeff Gordon and Mr. H, Kyle Larson expressed his joy at this redemption and winning his first Brickyard 400. “I think everything comes full circle and everything’s meant to be, and today definitely felt meant to be for us. A lot had to fall into place and thankfully it did. I just can’t believe it. It’s surreal to win here, and I can’t wait to kiss these bricks with my team, Rick Hendrick, my family, friends.”

The No. 5 driver also hailed his hardworking team, “This is such a special place and such hallowed grounds. It’s pretty neat to get an opportunity to race on the oval again. What a job by our team. They never gave up at all. We fought and dug and had to have things work out. I just can’t thank them enough.”

Evidently, the Hendrick driver is feeling blissful for overcoming his May heartbreak. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney is nursing his stinging pain at losing the chance for a Brickyard checkered flag. The battle between the two would be quite feisty in the playoffs. Stay tuned as EssentiallySports brings you more spice.