NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) during practice for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Ryan Blaney will be 'up all night' thinking about final lap at Homestead-Miami

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Oct 27, 2024 9:51 PM ET

Ryan Blaney has found plenty of heartbreaking ways to lose races in 2024.

From running out of gas on the final lap in St. Louis to losing by inches at Atlanta in February, the No. 12 team has been on the losing end of some spectacular moments.

That was the case again on Sunday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Blaney — needing a victory in order to advance to the Championship Four — was passed in the final corner by Tyler Reddick.

Blaney led 47 laps, scored 48 points, and fell short of victory by just 0.24 seconds in a race that will stick with him forever for all the wrong reasons.

INSANITY!!

TYLER REDDICK WINS AT HOMESTEAD! #NASCARPLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/YX631hRiS8
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 27, 2024

Blaney passed Denny Hamlin for the lead with two laps remaining, but a strong move by Reddick on the outside of turn four left the defending champion disappointed after exiting his Mustang.

"Had a great shot to win and I didn't have a very good last lap," Blaney told NBC Sports. "I thought I got into (Turn) 3 hard. The No. 45 blitzed it in there and it stuck, that was really impressive. Hate to give one away like that.

"Just a shame, I'll be thinking about it all night, what I could've done. Overall, really proud of the effort. Had a shot to go to Phoenix, we still have one more shot. Just a shame, I'll be up all night thinking about what I could've done differently."

The Cup Series will conclude its Round of 8 at Martinsville on Sunday. Blaney is the defending winner of the fall Martinsville race, and will need another victory in order to have a chance to defend his title.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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