Ryan Blaney captures his first NASCAR Cup Series championship

Ryan Blaney crosses the finish line in second place at Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Larson won the 2023 season championship with his finish. Photo by David Barks.

Ross Chastain wins season finale; Blaney’s second place finish wins him the crown

AVONDALE, AZ – Ryan Blaney could not chase down Ross Chastain during Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

But Blaney did chase down the 2023 NASCAR season championship with his second-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, beating Kyle Larson and William Byron to the checkered flag for his first career season championship, and second in a row for Team Penske (teammate Joey Logano won last year), as NASCAR wrapped up its 75th anniversary season.

“What an awesome year,” said Blaney. “It’s great to win this for Team Penske. Thank you (fans). I hope it was an awesome show.”

Ross Chastain wins Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway. Photo by David Barks.

In NASCAR’s winner-take-all format, it all came down to one final race for the season title with only the Championship 4 – Blaney, Byron, 2021 season champion Larson, and Christopher Bell – eligible.

Whoever finished highest among the Championship 4 would claim the title.

Chastain led a race-high 157 laps of the 312-lap race over the raceway’s 1-mile tri-oval, including the final 31.

Larson, Blaney, and Bryon were right behind with Larson leading the group.

With 20 laps left, Blaney got by Larson, and held off both Larson and Byron through the checkered flag.

Chastain beat Larson to the finish line by a car length – 1.230-seconds – with Larson three-seconds behind and Byron another five-seconds back.

Chris Buescher finished fourth, followed by Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, and Bubba Wallace.

Byron was on the pole and led every lap of the caution-free first stage.

But stage points no longer mattered.

When future Hall of Famer Harvick, in the final race of a storied career, passed Byron for the lead midway through Stage 2, it meant the end of Byron’s chase for the championship.

Meanwhile Blaney, who started 15th – last among the Championship 4 – worked his way into fourth place and threatened for the lead the rest of the way.

Ke3vin Harvick, in the final race of his storied career, finished seventh in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Photo by David Barks.

Bell’s day ended when a right front wheel rotor exploded on lap 108.

He slammed hard into the outside wall and was knocked out of the race in 36th, and last, place.

Chastain took the lead on lap 119 with Buescher and Harvick dogging his heels.

When Chastain got loose in Turn 2 of lap 171, Buescher was able to slide b y and raced to the Stage 2 win.

A slow pit stop during the stage break knocked Buescher out of the top 10 and Chastain was able to reclaim the lead at the start of Stage 3.

He had a slim (0.0416-second) lead over Byron, Truex, Larson, and Blaney but was able to keep them at bay.

Green flag pit stops scrambled the field but Chastain was quickly back in front with Truex, Blaney, Larson and Byron right behind.

 Kyle Busch spun out on lap 274, bringing out the day’s fourth and final caution.

When action resumed, the positions didn’t change until Truex fell out of contention, leaving the three finalists to chase Chastain to the flag.

“Over those finals laps I was thinking ‘no yellow,’” said Blaney. “A shout of out Kyle and William and to Christopher, too. It was tough luck that his car broke/. But they all raced clean. What an awesome day.”

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