The gap was just 0.330 seconds. That’s how fine the margins were between the two Team Penske drivers when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway. Ryan Blaney was hoping to be the first Cup Series’ repeat champion in 14 years, and despite making a late resurgence, chopping off a 3.3-second deficit to just a few car lengths, the No. 12 Ford driver couldn’t find a way around his teammate Joey Logano, who went on to clinch his third Cup Series title.

Despite his team having dominated the Next-Gen era with three consecutive titles, Blaney couldn’t help but feel dejected at the outcome in Phoenix, having come agonizingly close to reclaiming his championship crown.

So close, yet so far for Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney didn’t have the best start to the weekend, did he? The Ohio native qualified for the Championship 4 race in 17th place but quickly climbed up the grid as the race progressed, finishing sixth at the end of Stage 1. As the race went on, the defending Cup Series champion appeared to be the man to beat, winning Stage 2 and passing Kyle Larson as well as William Byron to move into second place with 20 laps to go. However, even though it looked like he might repeat his Martinsville surge from the Round of Eight, his teammate Joey Logano channeled his even-year magic all the way to the checkered flag.

Reflecting on the bittersweet ending to the race, Ryan Blaney said, “Just worn out really and just couldn’t quite get there. Tried really hard to do so, just [the] restart didn’t really work out and just got too far away from me and took me a while to pass a couple guys and just could never get by Joey. Yeah, ran out of time. I feel like if I came out behind Joey and didn’t have two cars in between us that I had to pass, I would have been able to have a better shot. But just the restart didn’t work out, and that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

When the race went green with just 54 laps to go, Ryan Blaney restarted in sixth place, struggling to climb up the grid after being engaged in a heated battle with Kyle Larson. It wasn’t until 35 laps remained that the Team Penske driver progressed to third place, but by then the damage seemed to have already been done. Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford had taken the lead one lap after the restart and showed lightning-fast pace at the 1-mile tri-oval to get as much distance as he could from his nearest competitors.

Giving credit for putting up a good defensive display, Ryan Blaney said, “Everybody put on defensive clinics today. Everybody I tried to pass. Everybody did, so props to them for that. They did a great job.” Looking back, the Team Penske driver will feel that not being able to capitalize on the restart and gain track positions quickly is what led him to lose the title. Had the race in Phoenix been 350 miles instead of 312, the No. 12 Ford driver would have won the championship fixture. Ultimately, he just ran out of time and was forced to settle for a runner-up finish, giving up his title to his teammate, Joey Logano.

Kyle Larson takes a dig at Blaney after Phoenix Raceway antics

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Kyle Larson will be feeling hard done by. Despite six wins in the Cup Series, the Hendrick Motorsports driver couldn’t make it to the Championship 4. Despite being out of contention, the No. 5 Chevy driver was determined to end his season on a high and ended the race with a respectable fourth-place finish. However, his outing at Phoenix Raceway didn’t come without controversy, as he was involved in a heated battle with Ryan Blaney after the restart.

The Team Penske driver was getting frustrated at Larson for not allowing him to pass, telling the No. 12 crew that he was blocking for teammate William Byron. However, the 2021 Cup Series winner said in the post-race interview, “You probably just assume that everybody’s just gonna lay over for you because you’re in the Final 4 but like I mentioned, we’re running third. I’m just trying to get myself an opportunity to win the race. I don’t doubt that he’s frustrated I’m sure he was making hand gestures just like he was with Ross (Chastain) last year. I’m going to give 100 percent.”

Frustrated at Larson racing him hard for third place, Ryan Blaney was heard saying on the team radio, “What the f—, man? F— these a-holes”. In response, his spotter, Tim Fedewa, said, “He’s going to be a blockade”. While the Team Penske driver’s frustrations are understandable, as the duel with the HMS driver ultimately cost him the race and the championship, it was never likely that the No. 5 Chevy driver would have let the reigning Cup Series champion make a pass without a fight. Especially with his teammate, William Byron, in contention for the title. With the stakes being higher than ever, there were never going to be handouts, even by drivers who were competing for nothing but pride.