BLANEY’S CHARGE TO THE FRONT ENDS IN TALLADEGA CHAOS

Hopes were high for Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse team as the multi-time Talladega winner headed into Sunday's YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Blaney started from the 28th position and settled in at the rear of the field as the majority of the competitors focused on fuel conservation. The strategy paid off, as Blaney jumped from outside the top 30 to inside the top five following his first pit stop of the day on Lap 58. He ultimately finished Stage 1 in eighth place. Blaney restarted inside the top 10 to begin Stage 2 and quickly worked his way toward the front of the field. Teaming up with teammate Joey Logano, Blaney climbed as high as second before being caught up in a multi-car accident on Lap 133. The Advance Auto Parts crew worked diligently to repair the damage and return the No. 12 Ford to the track in hopes of gaining additional positions. However, the damage proved too extensive to overcome, and the No. 12 team was forced to settle for a 38th-place finish. Fortunately, Blaney heads to Martinsville Speedway next Sunday, a track where he has won two of the last three fall races.