BLANEY BATTLES TO THE FRONT AT DAYTONA BEFORE LATE OVERTIME CONTACT

The finishing result was not indicative of the speed that Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse team showed in Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The defending race winner methodically worked his way through the field early in the race to contend for the lead at race's end. After running outside the top 25 for much of the first 20 laps, Blaney advanced through the field by Lap 23 and reported that his car was a little tight and difficult to maneuver in traffic. Blaney narrowly avoided a multi-car crash near the end of Stage 1 and finished the stage in 31st position. Following the stage break, the No. 12 team continued making gains while working a fuel strategy. Blaney climbed to 15th by Lap 74 after spending time inside the top 10 earlier in the stage. With help from Team Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano, Blaney surged to third on Lap 81 before taking the lead one lap later. After a fuel-only stop under caution, Blaney went on to win Stage 2. After topping off prior to the beginning of the final stage, Blaney steadily worked his way back toward the front while balancing fuel strategy, running 12th on Lap 127 and eighth by Lap 146. Unfortunately, Blaney was spun on the final lap during overtime, preventing a stronger finish. Despite the setback, the No. 12 team secured the No. 2 seed for the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, which begins next week at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.