It started off as a Sunday to remember for Ryan Blaney — till it ended as another day the Team Penske racer would like to forget. For 124 laps, he and his #12 Ford Mustang were uncatchable at Homestead-Miami. But with just 60 laps to go, Blaney suffered an engine failure and did not finish.
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Although the day ended in disappointment for him, it has not blunted the love he has for the Florida intermediate track. In fact, he would like to see Homestead be a part of the playoffs.
Speaking to Frontstretch ahead of the race, he was asked which part of the year he likes best for racing at Homestead-Miami. The former champion’s response was quick and clear: It didn’t matter! “It doesn’t matter to me when we come here whether it’s spring, fall, in the playoffs, championship race like as long as we’re coming here,” he said.
So much so that Blaney would actually like to see the track get two dates on the schedule. He also bounced around the idea of rotating the venue of the Championship 4 race and making the 1.5-mile oval a destination. “It is a shame it is not in the playoffs because it makes for a great playoff race,” he said.
Of course, there’s another reason why Blaney would love to get a second crack at Homestead in the same season. He finished 36th at the venue, hit with his third straight DNF. In two earlier races at the track, he’d ended as the runner-up. As things stand, he’ll have to wait another year before he gets a chance to improve his record here.
Blaney is not alone in wanting Homestead-Miami back in the playoffs. It is one of those venues where driver skill can be a key differentiator, given that mechanical parity is pretty much a given nowadays. It is for this reason that Denny Hamlin wants the track to be a part of the playoffs or the venue of the Championship 4 race.
Why Hamlin wants the Homestead-Miami to have better dates
The JGR driver said, “Whether it’s in the Playoffs, just a part of the championship race or round, or whatever it might be, I’d like to see it be a part of that as, like we just talked about, the driver makes a bigger difference at this track compared to the car.”
The track was the venue of the finale from 2002 to 2019. It was also a part of the playoffs over the last three seasons.
It had to be replaced with the Phoenix Raceway as the final destination due to various reasons such as Phoenix’s advancements in trackside amenities and support from the local government. Hopefully, the affinity that drivers like Blaney have for the track will play a factor in bringing it back into the playoffs.
