Car wreck at the finish line, a breakdown
What Happened
Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, emerges victorious in a thrilling last-lap battle at Talladega Superspeedway. Heading into the final lap, the gray car, driven by an unidentified driver, holds a significant lead over Blaney's yellow No. 12 machine. However, the gray car's driver chooses to leave a lane open, allowing Blaney to make a daring move on the inside. As they enter the final turn, Blaney seizes the opportunity and slides in front of the gray car, taking the lead. With a strong push from a car behind him, Blaney now has the momentum to hold off the charging gray car down the stretch. But the drama is far from over, as the No. 36 car, driven by an unknown driver, attempts to make a bold move to the outside, hoping to gain position. This risky maneuver causes chaos, as the No. 36 car spins and collides with other cars behind Blaney and the gray car. Despite the carnage unfolding in his rearview mirror, Blaney maintains his focus and crosses the finish line just ahead of the gray car, securing the victory. "That was wild," exclaims Blaney, still catching his breath in Victory Lane. "I saw the opportunity to make a move on the inside, and I just had to go for it. My team gave me a great car, and we were able to hang on for the win. I'm so proud of this team and can't wait to celebrate with them." This victory marks Blaney's third career win at Talladega Superspeedway, further cementing his status as a playoff driver. The intense battle on the final lap showcases the unpredictable nature of restrictor-plate racing, where the slightest mistake can lead to a dramatic conclusion. As the dust settles, the No. 12 car of Ryan Blaney sits at the front of the field, the victor in a chaotic and thrilling finish at the iconic Talladega Superspeedway.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentlast lap at talladega here's a breakdown for non-nascar fans by a guy who doesn't watch a
lot of nascar so all you diehards out there i'm gonna say things and you're gonna be like this
guy doesn't know what he's talking about but i know what i'm talking about because i'm just
gonna tell you what happened the gray car is way in front right way in front but he's given 12
the yellow car a lane because he can only block one lane at a time so he's staying on the inside
in the turn he's staying on the inside but now eventually he's going to try and make a move
to block 12 who's coming up so he's going to try and slide in front of him but 12 sees that
sees the openings big enough boom switcheroo now he's on the inside they're all in line
and 12's got a guy riding his butt pushing him a little bit the gray car he wants someone to
ride his butt give him a little push they're going around the turn he's on the outside 12's
on the inside they're gonna get neck and neck and then it's all gonna be a close race down the
stretch because they got buddies
pushing them but what happens is 36 is like wait i'm gonna try and get to the third lane try to
see if i can make a push to win or block people from passing me because i want to finish in the
top five so he slides to the right and he does that and the car behind him spins him out and
he's gonna take out the next car but he does not take out the car that's pushing 12 so now 12's got
a car giving it a ride and gray has got no
car giving it a ride and that helps 12 win by a smidge while everybody in the background just
wrecks and you got three cars that cross the finish line sideways that's what happened at
the end of the race at talladega 12 ryan blaney wins kevin harvick was in the lead for a while
but then lost his help he thought he was going to get a final push as well but dude got spun out
so 12 celebrates look at this it's like you know this reminds me of
the kid shows my kid watches where the cars are like animated and the car celebrates but
there's a guy driving it he won the race there he is look at him go yeah yeah fuck yeah let's
fucking go hell yeah he's a playoff driver winning big races third time he's won talladega
and that's not even by the closest margin so there you go now you know what happened
at talladega and how it happened in the last lap