BLANEY DELIVERS STRONG PHOENIX RUN WITH RUNNER-UP RESULT

Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang Dark Horse team continued their strong Phoenix Raceway form Sunday, turning a pole position start into a runner-up finish in the 312-lap event. The defending race winner led the field to green from the pole and immediately showcased one of the fastest cars in the field, controlling the opening portion of the race and remaining a factor near the front throughout the afternoon. While changing track conditions challenged the handling of the No. 12 Ford through the middle stages, Blaney still collected stage points in both stages and kept himself in contention. After restarting outside the top 15 to begin the final stage, Blaney methodically worked his way forward, putting together a series of impressive restarts and capitalizing on late-race adjustments from crew chief Jonathan Hassler to climb back into contention. A caution inside the final 30 laps set up a sprint to the finish, and Blaney charged from outside the top five to second in the closing laps, finishing just short of race winner Tyler Reddick. The runner-up result marked Blaney's fourth consecutive top-five finish and continued the No. 12 team's recent success at Phoenix Raceway, where Blaney has now recorded back-to-back top-two finishes.