Second-generation racer Ryan Blaney has taken the famed Wood Brothers back to victory lane by holding off Kevin Harvick at Pocono and scoring his first career NASCAR win.
The son of Dave Blayney, the driver of one of NASCAR’s oldest teams drove like a veteran trailing leader Kyle Busch with 10 laps to go. Blaney maintained control of his Ford as Busch continually blocked his path, eventually passing the 2015 series champion on Lap 151 and holding on for his first win.
He is the 10th different winner of 2017. His previous best result was second at this year’s Daytona 500.
Blaney held off former champion Harvick over the final laps for the victory in the Axalta presents the Pocono 400. The win is the 99th career victory for the storied Wood Brothers and first since Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500. He also became the 18th different winner for the team which debuted in 1953.
The list of those have taken the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane includes David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Neil Bonnett, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Kyle Petty, Buddy Baker and Dale Jarrett.
“I think it exceeds the dream a little bit,” said Blaney.
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“I grew up watching my dad race on this race track and it’s so cool to get the Wood Brothers in victory lane, number one, and to do it here at a race track that is really close to Ohio – a home to me – is pretty awesome.”
Harvick finished second, followed by Erik Jones, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski. Busch, who led 100 laps, faded to ninth.
Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray all experienced major incidents in Stage 2 and exited the race early.
Johnson slammed into the outside wall on Lap 95 after losing his brakes; McMurray had his brakes go bad around the same time, and his car caught fire to bring out the red flag.
Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson took the bonus points for winning Stages 1 & 2.
The Monster Energy Series travels to Michigan International Speedway next weekend for the 15th of 36 races in 2017.
VIDEO: Race recap
VIDEO: Blaney in Victory Lane
RESULTS: Axalta presents the Pocono 400 – Pocono Raceway
| Pos | # | Driver | Make | Laps | Laps Led |
| 1 | 21 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | 160 | 10 |
| 2 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 3 | 77 | Erik Jones | Toyota | 160 | 20 |
| 4 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 5 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 160 | 11 |
| 6 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | 160 | 5 |
| 7 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 160 | 9 |
| 8 | 24 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 9 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 160 | 100 |
| 10 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Toyota | 160 | 0 |
| 11 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 160 | 3 |
| 12 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 160 | 1 |
| 13 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 14 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 15 | 19 | Daniel Suarez | Toyota | 160 | 1 |
| 16 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 17 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 18 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 19 | 37 | Chris Buescher | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 20 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 21 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 22 | 47 | A.J. Allmendinger | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 23 | 22 | Joey Logano | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 24 | 95 | Michael McDowell | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 25 | 38 | David Ragan | Ford | 159 | 0 |
| 26 | 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | Ford | 159 | 0 |
| 27 | 34 | Landon Cassill | Ford | 158 | 0 |
| 28 | 83 | Corey Lajoie | Toyota | 157 | 0 |
| 29 | 23 | Gray Gaulding | Toyota | 156 | 0 |
| 30 | 72 | Cole Whitt | Chevrolet | 155 | 0 |
| 31 | 15 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 154 | 0 |
| 32 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Ford | 153 | 0 |
| 33 | 55 | Derrike Cope | Chevrolet | 153 | 0 |
| 34 | 33 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 146 | 0 |
| 35 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | 140 | 0 |
| 36 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 95 | 0 |
| 37 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 95 | 0 |
| 38 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | 58 | 0 |
| 39 | 51 | Cody Ware | Chevrolet | 35 | 0 |
STANDINGS
|
Pos
|
Driver
|
Pts
|
Behind
|
Wins
|
Starts
|
Top 5’s
|
Top 10’s
|
Poles
|
|
1
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
584
|
Leader
|
2
|
14
|
5
|
10
|
0
|
|
2
|
Kyle Larson
|
583
|
-1
|
1
|
14
|
6
|
9
|
1
|
|
3
|
Kevin Harvick
|
480
|
-104
|
0
|
14
|
5
|
9
|
3
|
|
4
|
Kyle Busch
|
463
|
-121
|
0
|
14
|
5
|
7
|
2
|
|
5
|
Brad Keselowski
|
454
|
-130
|
2
|
14
|
8
|
10
|
1
|
|
6
|
Chase Elliott
|
438
|
-146
|
0
|
14
|
4
|
8
|
1
|
|
7
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
421
|
-163
|
3
|
14
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
|
8
|
Jamie McMurray
|
418
|
-166
|
0
|
14
|
1
|
8
|
0
|
|
9
|
Denny Hamlin
|
386
|
-198
|
0
|
14
|
2
|
6
|
0
|
|
10
|
Clint Bowyer
|
369
|
-215
|
0
|
14
|
2
|
5
|
0
|
|
11
|
Joey Logano
|
362
|
-222
|
1
|
14
|
6
|
8
|
1
|
|
12
|
Ryan Blaney
|
360
|
-224
|
1
|
14
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
|
13
|
Matt Kenseth
|
359
|
-225
|
0
|
14
|
3
|
6
|
1
|
|
14
|
Kurt Busch
|
331
|
-253
|
1
|
14
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
|
15
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
|
325
|
-259
|
1
|
14
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
|
16
|
Ryan Newman
|
322
|
-262
|
1
|
14
|
2
|
5
|
0
|
|
17
|
Erik Jones
|
322
|
-262
|
0
|
14
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
|
18
|
Trevor Bayne
|
303
|
-281
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
19
|
Daniel Suarez
|
300
|
-284
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
|
20
|
Austin Dillon
|
287
|
-297
|
1
|
14
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
|
21
|
Kasey Kahne
|
274
|
-310
|
0
|
14
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
|
22
|
Ty Dillon
|
247
|
-337
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
23
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|
229
|
-355
|
0
|
14
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
|
24
|
Paul Menard
|
218
|
-366
|
0
|
14
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
|
25
|
Chris Buescher
|
204
|
-380
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
26
|
Aric Almirola
|
188
|
-396
|
0
|
11
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
|
27
|
Michael McDowell
|
186
|
-398
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
28
|
AJ Allmendinger
|
183
|
-401
|
0
|
14
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
|
29
|
David Ragan
|
177
|
-407
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
30
|
Danica Patrick
|
175
|
-409
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
31
|
Cole Whitt
|
161
|
-423
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
32
|
Landon Cassill
|
148
|
-436
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
33
|
Matt DiBenedetto
|
137
|
-447
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
34
|
Corey LaJoie
|
91
|
-493
|
0
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
35
|
Gray Gaulding
|
82
|
-502
|
0
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
36
|
Reed Sorenson
|
69
|
-515
|
0
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
37
|
Jeffrey Earnhardt
|
63
|
-521
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
38
|
Michael Waltrip
|
29
|
-555
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
39
|
Derrike Cope
|
26
|
-558
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
40
|
Cody Ware
|
4
|
-580
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
41
|
D.J. Kennington
|
1
|
-583
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
42
|
Brendan Gaughan
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
43
|
Elliott Sadler
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
44
|
Ross Chastain
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
45
|
Joey Gase
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
46
|
Regan Smith
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
47
|
JJ Yeley
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
48
|
Ryan Sieg
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
49
|
Darrell Wallace Jr.
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
50
|
Timmy Hill
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
51
|
Carl Long
|
0
|
-584
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
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