BLANEY RALLIES TO TOP-10 FINISH IN ATLANTA

Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse team came away with a 10th-place finish Sunday at Atlanta following a pair of overtime restarts. After qualifying was rained out Saturday, Blaney lined up 22nd to take the green flag for the 400-mile event and quickly worked his way into the top-10 by lap 27 before crossing the line 10th at the end of Stage 1. Following a four-tire stop during the stage break, Blaney was penalized for speeding on pit road, prompting the No. 12 team to shift its strategy early on as the Menards/Dutch Boy Ford lined up 36th for the ensuing restart. Blaney eventually raced his way back into the top-10 with eight laps remaining in the second segment after being mired in traffic for a majority of the run, resulting in an eighth-place finish in Stage 2. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler made the call for right side tires and fuel, allowing Blaney to win the race off pit road and take the green flag from the outside of row one. Blaney battled for the top spot as the intensity at the front of the field began to pick up before a caution on lap 199 allowed teams to pit one last time for fuel to make it to the end. After taking the restart from third with 56 laps remaining, Blaney took sole possession of the lead 15 laps later but contact with the No. 45 in turn one broke up the momentum in the top lane as Blaney quickly regained control. A caution with 23 laps to go set up another pivotal restart with under 20 laps remaining as Blaney lined up behind teammate Austin Cindric at the front of the field but was quickly shuffled to the middle lane and faded outside of the top-10. Another caution with four laps left reset the field for what amounted to a pair a overtime restarts that saw Blaney try to take the momentum in the top lane to the front, but ultimately crossed the line 10th to log the No. 12 team's first top-10 finish of the season.