Ryan Blaney feels his “dumb decisions” cost him a potential first victory of📖 the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series in Texas on Sunday.

Penske d𒅌river Blaney𒐪 was among the frontrunners in the closing stages of the 400-mile Texas race, which was interrupted by several caution periods.

During the all-important restart on lap 244, he chose to take the inside line behind Kyle 💎Larson, which allowed Spire Motorsport’s Michael McDowell to grab the lead on the outside.

This was just one of several post-caution restart periods where Blane�🎃�y failed to capitalise on his starting position, eventually finishing third behind Penske teammate Joey Logano and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain as the race went into overtime.

Speaking afterwards,✱ 2023 Cup Series champion Blaney blamed his own errors for a win that he felt slipped away ౠfrom his hands.

“The one time I didn’t pick the outside, the 71 [McDowell] get🔯s the lead, and then I co🍰uldn’t get it back,” he said.

“Just driver making dumb decisions an🐠d not doing his job.  I appreciate the 12 car was a fast car. Just can’t do nothing right currently, so hopefully it will work itself out."

Explaining his choice on t♉he lap 244 restart, Blaney added: “The top wasn’t very good at all. It was pretty dirty. And the one time I have a shot to do it, and don’t do it, the guy [McDowell] gets the lead.

“So I just didn’t do a good job. Then it was hard to get it after that. Just didn’t get a good push, and just could never hang with them over in [Turns] 3 and 4𒈔.”

Blaney’s podium was still remarkable considering he took the start from 24th on the grid in h🦩is #12 Penske Ford.

He remained in the hunt for victory until 10 laps from the finish, when he went side-by-side with the #71 Spire Chevrole🔜t of McDowell.

But he soon dropped behind his teammate Logano, who then🔜 passed McDowell with four laps to run to take his first victory of the season.

Blaney also managed to overtake McDowell for second shortly after, but the168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: latter’s crash promptedဣ aꦯnother caution period, sending the race into overtime.

It was on the final restart that the 31-year-old drop⛄ped to third place, behind the #1 Chevrole🐷t of Chastain.

Explaining his climb up to third place, Blaney said: “Honestly, we really didn’t do it with s𝕴trategy.

“W🤪e just kind ﷺof passed cars. So no, it was good and I thought our car was really good. I couldn’t get control of the race. 

“So, overall, a proud day, fast car, and hopefully go forward. We’ve had speed all year,🌌 so it was nice that in the last couple of weeks, we’ve [Penske] gotten a car in Victory Lane.𝕴 So that’s good, hopefully we can join them.”