FAST LONG-RUN CAR IN KANSAS FOR THE 12 TEAM

Ryan Blaney rallied for a fourth-place finish despite a late-race setback in the opening race of the Round of 12 Sunday at Kansas Speedway. The top-five effort moves Blaney to second in the playoffs standings, 28 points above the cut line. After firing off from seventh to start the 400-mile event, Blaney put his long-run speed on display in the latter stages of the opening segment by working his way up to third in the running order with eight to go in the stage while getting within a second of the leader. Blaney ultimately came away with a third-place finish in Stage 1 before the 12-team ripped off a quick four tire stop under caution set up the Wurth Ford to take the restart from the inside of row two. After settling into sixth in the running order on the ensuing run, Blaney began to make his charge to the front with under 30 to go in the stage. Once he got around teammate Joey Logano for second, Blaney ran down the No. 20 and took the lead out of turn two on lap 142 but the caution flag flew shortly after, prompting the field to hit pit road one final time before the end of the stage. Despite a pair of cautions in the final 17 laps of the segment, Blaney was able to pick up another third-place finish in Stage 2. With varying pit strategies in play for the final run of the afternoon, Blaney was brought to pit road during the stage caution and lined up to restart 20th. On lap 192, Blaney reported a loose wheel and was forced to come down pit road under green, resulting in the Wurth Ford Mustang going a lap down in the process. As the green flag pit cycle began around 50 laps to, Blaney made his way back into the top-10 but would be 12-15 laps short on fuel if the race stayed green the rest of the way. The 12-team got the break they needed when the caution flag flew with 32 laps to go as Blaney hit pit road one final time for four tires and fuel. He lined up sixth to take the restart with 26 to go and worked his way back into the top-five before taking the checkered flag fourth to open the Round of 12.