Ryan Blaney wins first two Texas stages, looking for first Wood Brothers Racing win since 2011
By Nick Tylwalk
Ryan Blaney is attempting to do something only Martin Truex Jr. has done so far in the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season by sweeping all three stages of a race.
Despite its legendary status in the sport of stock car racing, Wood Brothers Racing doesn’t visit Victory Lane too often these days. The No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford last won a race when Trevor Bayne wrote his Cinderella story in the 2011 Daytona 500, but Ryan Blaney is trying to change that in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.
Blaney was plenty fast in the first half of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, coming to the start/finish line first in Stage 1 and Stage 2. He also led more than 100 laps in the process, more laps than he’s led in every 2017 race combined.
Unfortunately, Blaney was a victim of some pit strategy machinations that left him about halfway back in the field after he pitted during the caution at the end of Stage 2. A total of 19 cars stayed out, having pitted on a late caution in that stage.
That leaves Blaney with some work to do trying to chase down the likes of Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick for his first Cup Series victory. And don’t sleep on the two extra playoff points Blaney earned for the stage victories, as he’s run well enough so far in 2017 to suspect that he might be one of the drivers to qualify even if he can’t manage a victory.
Of course, getting a win would almost assure the legendary single-car Wood Brothers Racing operation of a spot in the playoffs and put smiles on the faces of NASCAR fans everywhere in the process.
Next: Pre-race trouble bites Austin Dillon in Texas
O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Stage 1 results
- Ryan Blaney 10 points, 1 playoff point
- Martin Truex Jr., 9 points
- Jamie McMurray, 8 points
- Kevin Harvick, 7 points
- Brad Keselowski, 6 points
- Kyle Larson, 5 points
- Clint Bowyer, 4 points
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 3 points
- Joey Logano, 2 points
- Kyle Busch, 1 point
O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Stage 2 results
- Ryan Blaney, 10 points, 1 playoff point
- Jimmie Johnson, 9 points
- Jamie McMurray, 8 points
- Kyle Larson, 7 points
- Chase Elliott, 6 points
- Kurt Busch, 5 points
- Kevin Harvick, 4 points
- Brad Keselowski, 3 points
- Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2 points
- Martin Truex Jr., 1 point