August 22, 2021 | By Lee Spencer

Blaney extends Ford's winning streak to seven at Michigan

In a race dominated by Hendrick Motorsports, Ryan Blaney found a way to maintain Ford’s bragging rights at Michigan International Speedway.

Blaney gave Ford its seventh consecutive victory at the two-mile track, enabling the manufacturer to retain the coveted Heritage Trophy.

The victory was the sixth of the Team Penske racer’s career, his first at Michigan and the only time Blaney has won multiple races in a season, in what will be the swan song for retiring crew chief Todd Gordon.

“Well, we talked to Edsel Ford before the race and he was wanting to get Todd another trophy here before he retired and told us to make sure we do that today,” Blaney said. “We will try to get Todd a few more before the season is out.”

Despite challenges by both Kyle Larson and William Byron in the closing laps, Blaney held off the Chevrolets charge by just over a car length coming to the checkered flag. Byron finished second followed by Larson, Kurt Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr.

Larson dominated early and led a race-high 70 laps. An early skirmish between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Busch and Truex on Lap 3 resulted in lengthy pit stops for the Toyotas during the competition caution on Lap 20. Busch and Truex dropped to 27th and 33rd, respectively. Hamlin elected to skip tires during pit stops and grabbed the lead from Larson for the Lap 26 restart.

Elliott passed Hamlin for the lead when the race returned to green, but six laps later Joey Gase hit the wall in Turn 2. Elliott maintained the lead on the restart with Kurt Busch alongside. With just two tires during the competition caution pit stop, Hamlin, Joey Logano, Larson and Austin Dillon easily passed the No. 1 Chevy.

Six laps later, Alex Bowman plowed into the back of Kevin Harvick, who despite winning the last three Michigan races could not muster better than a 14th-place finish on Sunday. Harvick, however, qualified for the Playoffs and extended his post-season run under the elimination format to eight-straight.

Chase Elliott became just the second Chevy driver to win a stage at Michigan after capturing the green-and-white checkered flag on Lap 60. Larson regained the lead off of pit road but Austin Dillon grabbed the point on the Lap 67 restart. DiBenedetto ran into the rear of Kurt Busch’s car on the next lap, sending the car sideways and from seventh to 20th. Larson regained the lead on Lap 78 but was passed by Elliott two laps later.

Byron dropped off from 10th to pit on Lap 106. Larson came from second four laps later followed by Elliott from the lead on Lap 111 turning the lead over to Kyle Busch. Busch pitted on Lap 114. With a two-tire stop he was able to cycle back to the lead on Lap 115 and win the stage on Lap 120.

But all hell broke out behind the No. 18 Toyota as Austin Dillon and Keselowski battled coming to the line. After the drivers traded paint, Keselowski hooked the No. 3 Chevy after crossing the line. For Dillon, who desperately needed the points—and potentially a win to advance to the Playoffs, the accident was devastating.

“I was just trying to get as many Stage points as I could get right there and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron and I’ve seen just one quick replay, but it was after the Start/Finish Line,” Dillon said. “I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there. But I figured by that point, he would have given me a little room. I hate it. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today. That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine.

“I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all. They built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. Just working our tails off right there. I think we would have had a shot to do something there at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at RCR this year, I feel like. It’s just a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left and I just hate it. I don’t know why it happened, really. I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess.”

Kurt Busch assumed the lead on the Lap 127 restart but it was short-lived. Larson quickly took command and led an additional 31 laps before pitting on Lap 159. While coming to pit road, Larson reported he was out of fuel—but the faux pas didn’t affect his progress. Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Keselowski traded the lead before pitting. Byron cycled to the front on Lap 175 before NASCAR called the sixth caution for rain on Lap 181. Before completing the first circuit of the Lap 187 restart, Tyler Reddick attempted to go four-wide in order to pass Hamlin. Realizing the move wasn’t going to work, Reddick checked up causing a chain reaction behind him. Alex Bowman went high to avoid the wreck but when Joey Logano slowed, Truex clipped him. Logano ended up in the grass along with Ryan Newman and Christopher Bell.

The race restarted with seven laps remaining and Byron in the lead with Blaney on the inside. With a push from Kyle Busch, Blaney shot out to the lead. Tyler Reddick spun out on the next circuit but the race continued. Larson dropped low to move up to second with three to go, but Byron regained the position on the next lap. Blaney maintained the low line coming to the white flag. Despite being tag-teamed by the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Blaney maintained a .077-second advantage at the finish.

“Yeah, we were going to be fourth and the front row was open,” Blaney said. “You have to take the front row. It gave us a shot to win the race and Kyle (Busch) gave us a really good push to get us clear into turn one and then I was playing defense. We were wide open. Especially with Larson and William laying back and trying to get runs. That made it tough.

“It was cool to persevere all day. We didn’t start off very good but we worked on it all day and found ourselves in a spot to capitalize on it at the end and did that. A very cool day and nice to be in victory lane here in Michigan. This is huge for Ford and Mr. Penske and a lot of fun.”

Larson, who extended his point lead over Hamlin by 28, admitted that winning the regular-season title was foremost on his mind Sunday.

“I was probably honestly a little too -- I had points on my mind a little bit too much,” Larson said. “I'm looking in my mirror. I saw the 11 falling back some. I just didn't want to screw it up really.

“I felt like I had to weigh the risk versus reward. I could risk going for the win, not having it work out, end up 30 something and lose the point lead going into Daytona or I could be a little bit more cautious, beat Denny by of couple spots, which is what we did.”