Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag in Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 at Texas Motor Speedway to give Team Penske its third straight Xfinity Series win.
Blaney led a race high 132 laps to score his first win of the season and the seventh of his career. He follows wins by teammates Brad Keselowski (Phoenix) and Joey Logano (Auto Club) to put the Penske No. 22 Ford in Victory Lane this season.
“Our Fitzgerald Glider Kits Mustang was amazing all weekend, really,” Blaney said. “We got behind a little bit getting loose on that restart. With the different strategies in second stage there we had to come from behind a little bit. The car was great.
“It’s finally nice to win one here in Texas.”
Blaney led the final 47 laps en route to the win.
He celebrated the win with what has become a tradition for Blaney by giving the checkered flag to a young fan in the grandstands.
“Whenever you can see them up close and personal and see how excited everybody is to be here, that’s a bonus for us,” Blaney explained about recognizing the young fan who braved 34 degree weather when the race started. “It makes us feel like we put on a really good show.
“It was unbelievable how many kids were in stands and at the fence and really pumped up. Hopefully, they had a great time. My main thing is trying to make a memory that will last a lifetime for them.”
Christopher Bell, Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer and Ryan Preece rounded out the top five.
Matt Tifft, Jamie McMurray, Elliott Sadler, Austin Cindric and Spencer Gallagher completed the first 10 finishers.
Only 10 cars finished on the lead lap.
Four drivers qualified for next week’s first Dash4Cash event at Bristol Motor Speedway and a chance at a $100,000 payday; Bell. Hemric, Custer and Preece.
Blaney and Brandon Jones, who later was eliminated in an accident, won the first two stages.
“Monday morning we had three goals coming to Texas – qualifying good, which we started third, get stage points, which we almost got the max amount of stage points and bonuses we possibly could, and to finish top five and I think we were on our way to do that,” Jones said. “Just disappointed, man.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next Saturday afternoon.
