The Team Penske driver showcased long-run speed throughout practice but only qualified 15th. Blaney’s crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, employed a tire strategy in Stage 1, which gave Blaney the track position that helped him win both the second stage and the race.

“I thought two tires were great,” Blaney told Prime Sports reporter Marty Snider after the race. “That really set us up for the rest of the race, so great job by (Hassler) as always.”

Entering the weekend, Blaney was the highest driver in the standings to have not won a race. All the while, Blaney’s teammates and their partner at Wood Brothers had already earned victories.

“We've had great speed all year,” Blaney said. He had five top-five finishes across 2025 but also suffered from five DNFs, tying him with Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski for the series-most.

Blaney said 2025, “Just hasn't been the best year for us as always as far as good fortune.” Now, his previous bad luck became an afterthought as Blaney locked into the Playoffs for the ninth time.

Music City has been kind to Penske over the past two years. Blaney’s teammate Joey Logano, who was the defending race-winner, finished fourth with 42 points after a struggle in Charlotte.

Logano said post-race, “Now that's pretty impressive to have everybody with it with a win.” The three-time champion felt all of the Penske teams ran strong on the track and executed on pitlane.

Carson Hocevar crossed the finish line in second place after vaulting past Stage 1 winner Denny Hamlin in the final pit cycle. His Spire team rebounded after engine trouble late in the Coke 600.

“It just proves how strong this group is,” Hocevar said after earning his second runner-up result. “One spot short again, which hopefully this is a step in the right direction,” Hocevar said.

Denny Hamlin brought his Progressive Insurance Toyota home in third place on his 700th career start. It tied Jeff Gordon’s 2013 Darlington race for the best result by a driver in their 700th race.

Hamlin took the green despite being on baby watch and went on to lead the second-most laps. To start the second stage, Hamlin said his car transitioned to a loose condition that never faded.

“That last run made it slightly better, but just wasn't enough,” Hamlin said. “I could maintain with them, but then after that, (Blaney) just pulled away and stretched it on us.”

Points leader William Byron finished fifth, stringing together two top-five efforts after a pair of weekends outside the top ten. Byron extended his gap over teammate Kyle Larson to 48 points.

Next weekend, NASCAR roars into Michigan International Speedway for the Firekeepers Casino 400. Three drivers, Hocevar, Keselowski and Erik Jones, are natives of Great Lakes State.

None of the three have ever won at their home track. Exclusive streaming starts Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m. ET on Prime Video with radio coverage delivered by the Motor Racing Network.