BLANEY DELIVERS STRONG RICHMOND PERFORMANCE

Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 BODYARMOR Flash I.V. Caffeine Ford Mustang Dark Horse continued their strong summer stretch Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, leading laps, capturing the Stage 1 victory and moving up to second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings despite finishing 13th in the 400-lap event. Starting from the pole for the second consecutive week, Blaney quickly established himself among the race leaders. A fast green-flag pit stop by the No. 12 team helped maintain track position as Blaney navigated lapped traffic on his way to the Stage 1 victory, adding to his series-leading stage win total in 2026. After running near the front throughout Stage 2, Blaney wrestled with changing track conditions as the handling shifted during longer runs. Despite the challenge, he reclaimed the lead during the early part of the stage and remained a fixture inside the top five, ultimately finishing fifth in Stage 2 as all three Team Penske entries spent much of the night among the front-runners. A strategic tire call helped move Blaney as high as third during the final Stage, but a later-timed green-flag stop ultimately put the No. 12 Ford Mustang one lap down to finish the closing laps do the 400-lap event. Blaney gained one position in the closing laps to take the checkered flag 13th and moved up one spot to second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with three races remaining before the Chase begins.