Ryan Blaney is at serious risk of being eliminated from the round of 8 at the moment. The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion is currently seventh on the points table, 47 points behind the cutline.
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Many believe that it is a must-win situation for the Team Penske man. However, Blaney is more excited than worried heading into the next race at one of his favorite tracks, Homestead-Miami.
The #12 driver has never won there but came mighty close with a P2 finish last season. He believes that the track’s unique shape allows drivers to run the high line which makes the cars go faster.
Tire fall-off is also a huge factor making it one of the most interesting tracks to run on. Tire management plays a huge role and Blaney is one of the best the Cup Series has in that regard so it’s no wonder he enjoys racing there.
“I love going to Homestead-Miami and I feel like if you ask any driver they love that racetrack just because it’s so unique in its shape, the surface that it has. We put a great run together there last year and had a great shot to win that race, so I really enjoy it. To me, that’s one of the more risk-reward racetracks that we go to,” he said in a recent media interaction.
He still however has a mountain to climb if he wants to make it through to the championship race. Winning at Homestead won’t be easy given the form the #12 team is currently in. Kyle Larson has been one of the strongest drivers at Homestead in the last few years and will once again be the man to beat on Sunday.
The reigning champion acknowledges his desperate situation
The reigning Cup Series champion has started nine Cup Series races at the track and has earned only two top-five finishes. Despite his love for Homestead, he has finished outside the top-15 more often than not.
That kind of performance will not do anything to help his situation. Last year’s P2 finish, however, will give him and his team a level of confidence heading into what is seemingly a must-win situation.
“We have to win, you know. I mean, we’re way too far away on the cut line to try to point our way in honestly. So, yeah, just go try to try to win Homestead or Martinsville. And we honestly thought, like going into this round, we had the idea of just, You’re probably gonna have to win one of these races anyway to advance,” Blaney had said in an earlier interview.
It will be interesting to see if the #12 can repeat their performance at Homestead from last season and give themselves a shot to win the race. Two Penske cars inside the championship four would bolster the team’s chances of winning three championships in a row. That would indeed be a historic achievement.
