Joey Logano Defends Teammate Ryan Blaney After Widespread Criticism of Homestead Defense

In the penultimate race of Round 8 at Homestead, Ryan Blaney fell one point shy of winning the race. Leading the final lap, the #12 Team Penske driver looked ready to join teammate Joey Logano in the championship fight.

But as the race neared its climax, the 2024 Regular Season Champion fiercely pursued Blaney around the backstretch and hugged the outside wall to take the high line. By favoring the top mid lane, Blaney left enough space for Tyler Reddick to make his move.

Reddick went through the final corners at incredible speed, passing Blaney at Turn 4 and clinching the victory.

Amid criticism that Ryan Blaney didn’t do enough to fend off Reddick in the final moments of the Homestead race, Team Penske ally Joey Logano offered his defense during a SiriusXM Radio interview. Logano was stunned, “It blew my mind, though. What Blaney did… was probably the same move I would have thought of, going in a little bit lower.”

He detailed, “Keep that little work, but also keep your room close to where you can disappear into the wall if it’s working on that wall. Because you don’t know exactly where to go.”

“It’s like we have an idea of ​​what you think might have happened, but it was crazy how he went flying into the entryway wall. By the time Blaney realized it was happening, he was past you. It’s like it was too late.” he added.

Logano also explained that Blaney made no mistake in his strategy to take the fourth lane and protect himself on both fronts. According to the two-time Cup champion, Reddick’s finishing push was absolutely unstoppable, leaving Blaney in a difficult position to defend effectively.

Kyle Petty attributes this not only to Reddick’s talent but also to other people’s ‘stupidity’

NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty recently emphasized that while Tyler Reddick’s finishing move was impressive, it was also the result of a series of missteps from other drivers that paved the way for his victory. Petty stated that poor decisions made by many drivers ultimately paved the way for Reddick to clinch the win.

He explained: “The final lap is taken by Ryan Blaney in the #12 car; Ryan Blaney leads… It’s Tyler Reddick! He’s coming! Runs 5-6 times faster; “He passed him from the outside on the last lap… What was the number 12 car’s thinking block by block, I’m talking about a stupid move.”

According to Petty, Blaney should ideally have focused on blocking Reddick rather than leaving him in the open lane on the final lap.