Dale Earnhardt Jr. has delivered a take on Ryan Blaney's Miami setback, highlighting the Team Penske driver's 'not uncommon' reaction to the ordeal. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion arguably had the fastest car in the Straight Talk Wireless 400, but Ford's engine blew on Lap 207, resulting in Blaney's third consecutive DNF.
The Team Penske driver showcased a strong display at Miami's 1.5-mile oval. He led a race-high 124 laps and was primed to claim his maiden of the season and, with that, the playoff ticket. Starting the race from sixth, Blaney braved the wrecks and cautions to contend for the pinnacle spot.
Blaney even survived a pit road incident at the end of Stage 2, where Chase Elliott pulled beside him while exiting the pits, forcing the former to steer right abruptly. Nonetheless, while navigating the #12 Ford Mustang on the Miami oval, misery struck, and the engine exploded for the second time this season. The first incident happened in Phoenix.
The Team Penske driver was frustrated and vented his anger on the radio, saying a couple of expletives. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took note of Blaney's reaction and opined that such a response is not uncommon.
"Ryan Blaney had the best car at many points in the race and blew up an engine -hand grenaded in a spectacular fashion...Blaney's reaction is not uncommon not unsusal but probably more on the frustrated side of things. Blaney is a spicy," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via Dirty Mo Media (44:45).
Blaney's third consecutive DNF has dropped him to 10th place in the Cup Series standings.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NASCAR prodigy scores second NASCAR win at the expense of Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson aimed to sweep the Homestead-Miami tripleheader by triumphing in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series races. The Hendrick Motorsports star won the truck race, completing a third of the set task. However, things took a turn after Taylor Gray spun during the final stage.
Larson cherished a comfortable 16-second lead over the pack, but a caution with seven laps remaining stacked the field for the restart. Sam Mayer was lined behind Larson and tried to secure a promising finish by capitalizing on the #17 Chevy's draft. But things didn't go as planned, and the Haas Factory Team driver wrecked the HMS rival, causing him to spin and finish fourth
Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned JRM driver Justin Allgaier ran fourth on the final restart but capitalized on Larson's situation and wheeled his #7 Chevy to the victory lane for the second consecutive time.
“What an unbelievable day. I can’t believe that we were able to get a win here in Homestead. It’s just a testament to all of the hard work by Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the men and women at JR Motorsports," Allgaier said via JRM.
With the Miami win, Allgaier also pocketed a handsome $100,000 paycheck for triumphing in the Dash 4 Cash.