Ryan Blaney made an impressive comeback at the LA Clash, charging from the rear to secure a top-3 finish. The 2024 edition of the race, held at the Colosseum in Los Angeles, was touted as the final NASCAR event on the temporary track. It proved to be an exhilarating race, with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin holding off his competitors to claim his fourth Clash win. Joining Hamlin on the podium were Kyle Busch in second place and the defending Cup champion in third. Blaney’s performance was particularly noteworthy, given his starting position at the back of the pack. Despite his impressive charge, Blaney later revealed that Hamlin had jumped the final restart. However, he acknowledged that the advantage gained from the jumpstart was minimal. Both drivers had to overcome setbacks during the race, with Hamlin being sent to the rear earlier on. Blaney admitted that the final restart was challenging for him as well, and even with a perfect start, he believed winning the race would have been unlikely. Nevertheless, he expressed his enjoyment of the thrilling journey from the back to the top. Looking ahead, the reigning champion faces a daunting task in defending his title in the next-gen era. Having closely observed his teammate’s performance in 2023, he is aware of what mistakes to avoid. Blaney will need to employ some strategic maneuvers if he hopes to become the first driver since to successfully defend the championship.
