NASCAR: How each of the five remaining playoff drivers can win their way to Homestead-Miami
By Dustin Smith
How Ryan Blaney makes it to Homestead-Miami
Ryan Blaney is one of the three drivers who doesn’t necessarily need to win on Sunday to advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami. Sitting 22 points behind Brad Keselowski for the last spot, if Blaney has two strong stage finishes and a top 3 or top 5 finish, he could be the last man standing after the Round of 8.
No doubt, the best way for Blaney to advance would be to gain a win on Sunday, but he definitely has a shot to make it on points alone. He will, however, need to be better than he was the last time the NASCAR Cup Series raced at Phoenix. Blaney finished in 23rd place, which is the worst finish of the remaining five drivers.
The biggest issue with going in with the mindset of him only needed a good finish is if one of the other four drivers take home the win. Similarly to Chase Elliott, Blaney has significantly improved as a driver since March and should have little to no trouble finishing higher than 23rd. The only issue I see is I don’t think he has a shot at winning on Sunday. This is why I feel he needs to have a great points day with stage wins and a little bit of luck to make the Championship 4.