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Ryan Blaney Seizes Phoenix Win on Late Two-Tire Call as Christopher Bell’s Charge Falls Short

A bold two-tire stop on the final caution delivered crucial track position that Bell’s four-tire choice could not overcome.

Overview

  • Blaney passed Ty Gibbs with 10 laps remaining and held off Christopher Bell by 0.399 seconds for his first win of 2026.
  • Bell led a race-high 176 of 312 laps but restarted eighth after taking four tires on the final stop and ran out of laps to catch the leader.
  • The event tied the track record with 12 cautions, many linked to tire issues, and featured 23 lead changes over 86 caution laps.
  • Blaney overcame multiple pit-road setbacks, including a penalty for pitting outside the box and loose-wheel troubles, to retake the front.
  • The victory ended Tyler Reddick’s season-opening win streak as he finished eighth yet retained the points lead by 60 over new runner-up Blaney, and it capped a Team Penske weekend sweep after Josef Newgarden’s IndyCar win.